Seville Grove couple Jacqueline Wereik-Dimer and Ian Dimer will be walking proudly alongside their son Miles at this year’s annual Walk for Prems on October 23 at Sir James Mitchell Park in South Perth.
That’s because Miles, or ‘Miracle Miles’ as he is affectionately known, was born 17 weeks premature on June 18, 2014.
Despite doctors saying he would not survive the night, two years later he is able to talk and walk unassisted and will join his family on the walk.
Ms Wereik-Dimer has had four other premature children but none as premature as Miles.
“We actually have five premmie kids but the others were only four weeks early so in the scheme of things that’s nearly nothing,” she said.
“Because Miles was born so premature we had a lot of problems because he was so under developed.
“He was 594-grams and he was two-centimetres longer than a pencil, 19-centimetres.
“It came as an absolute shock, I suffer from high blood pressure normally but also I fell quite ill the day before and with my spiked temperature I just went into spontaneous labour and there was absolutely nothing the doctors could do to stop it.
“They gave me injections, they gave me multiple pills to stop the labour.
“They also gave me steroid injections to try and help strengthen his lungs basically because everything was so under developed but they take 24-hours to work and he was out in six hours.”
She said after he was born the doctors were not hopeful.
“We were told by the doctor he wasn’t going to make it through the night and it was minute by minute hour by hour,” she said.
“We were asked if we wanted to get him blessed and he pulled through.
“It was the scariest thing in my whole life, it was terrifying but in saying that, these little babies, you just don’t give them enough credit, they’re just so strong, he has been through so much.”
Miles has lung and eye issues, uses a walking frame to move longer distances and visits hospitals regularly but Ms Wereik-Dimer said he was the happiest child.
“He has lots of little war wounds and scars but this little boy is an absolute trooper,” she said.
She said being able to walk with Miles at this year’s Walk for Prems will be a special moment.
“I’m so excited and really proud,” she said.
Walk for Prems raises money and awareness for the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, which aims to support and educate families of premature babies.
Ms Wereik-Dimer said the help they received from the foundation after Miles’ birth was invaluable.
“The support network for the families going through this is massive, having the network there to speak to other people in similar situations,” she said.
“They helped sometimes with fuel vouchers, the little things that matter so much.”
She encouraged the community to join in the walk and even invited them to join her team ‘Miracle Miles’.
For more information and to register visit walkforprems.org.au.
