Happy Birthday to Peyton who beat the odds after Covid -19 and will soon turn one!

The tot, who was born eight weeks premature, will turn one on Friday March 26 March and parents Tracy and AJ Maguire say she’s now thriving after the fantastic care she received in her early days at University Hospital Wishaw.

Peyton’s remarkable story of survival made headlines around the globe and her parents who lived in Bellshill but have since moved to Uddingston joke that their daughter is now, a “wee diva”, who loves to wave at folk.

“She’s full of energy and we’re delighted how good her health has been since she left hospital and how well she’s doing,” said Tracy (28), a digital marketing student.

“She’s started toddling about with the help of a walker and she said her first proper word the other day – ‘Daddy’, of course!

“She drives us daft by listening to the Baby Shark song all the time so she’s getting a Baby Shark toy for her birthday. One of my grans named her ‘the rainbow baby’ because of the joy she brought to us during lockdown and she’s given Peyton a lovely rainbow dress for her birthday.

Peyton was delivered early by c-section after Tracy was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia following an appointment with her community midwife. The newborn was being cared for in an incubator in Wishaw’s neonatal unit when Tracy and AJ were told the alarming news that she’d tested positive for COVID, despite having none of the tell-tale symptoms of the condition.

Tracy, who isolated in the hospital to be close to her fragile daughter, said:” I have so much respect for healthcare workers and I’m so grateful staff at Wishaw put their own lives at risk to care for my baby.

Proud dad AJ (29), a personal trainer and boxing coach, added: “I’m the luckiest dad and husband in the world to see my family so healthy and happy.”

NHS Lanarkshire chief midwife Cheryl Clark said: “Peyton has come such a long way since she was a tiny, vulnerable baby in our incubator. That’s a tribute to the quality of care provided by all my colleagues who looked after Peyton and her mum.”