THE parents of "miracle" baby Phoebe Arlott is supporting our campaign to save the Royal Bolton Hospital's special care baby unit after the neonatal ward saved their daughter's life.

Baby Phoebe weighed just 1lb 7oz when she was born - almost four months early - on July 27 last year.

In the days following her birth, her weight dropped to just 1lb 4oz.

And in the following months, Phoebe suffered a number of complications, including jaundice, pneumonia, a collapsed lung and serious sight problems.

Just 11 weeks after her birth, she had emergency laser eye surgery to save her sight after doctors diagnosed she was going blind.

Her mother, Carla Fletcher, aged 19, of Lenham Gardens, Breightmet, said: "It was absolutely terrifying.

"She was my first baby and there were times when I really didn't think she was going to pull through.

"I'm convinced if it wasn't for the Royal Bolton Hospital, things could've been very different."

Phoebe was finally allowed home after almost four months in the neonatal unit at the Royal Bolton - the day after the date on which she was originally due to be born.

She is now a healthy 7lb 11oz. Miss Fletcher said: "The care is so good at the neonatal unit and it needs to stay in Bolton. I am 100 per cent behind this campaign and would urge everyone in Bolton to do the same."

The Bolton Evening News Back The Baby Unit campaign is calling on readers to back the Royal Bolton's Hospital's bid to become one of three super centres for the care of babies and children in Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and High Peak in Derbyshire.

The plans are part of a £31 million shake-up of maternity services that will concentrate skilled staff in super centres.

If Bolton is chosen, services for babies and children will expand.

If it is not picked, it will lose its current neonatal ward and critically ill babies will have to be transferred out of Bolton.

Public consultation runs until April 13.