A BABY has undergone major operations after she was born with her intestines outside her body.

Darcie Musto was born five weeks early, weighing just over five pounds. She was born with gastroschisis, a birth defect of the abdominal wall, which led to her intestines being outside her body.

Darcie, who is now 19 weeks old, has since undergone a number of operations including one when she was just a few hours old.

Her mother, Jade Adams, said: “At the 12 week scan we found out she would be born with gastroschisis.

“We did a fundraising event for Great Ormond Street Hospital as this is where she would be staying and we raised £2,500.

“When she was two hours old she was operated on at GOSH to put her intestines back inside, during this operation surgeons found a blockage. This meant Darcie also had a condition called colonic atresia.”

Jade, 20, added: “We stayed at GOSH for six weeks and came home for eight weeks having to manage a stoma which eventually prolapsed. We have since gone back to GOSH and have been here for three weeks.”

Jade added Darcie was in intensive care now.

“She choked the other day because her tummy was so distended her lungs were squashed and she really struggled to breath.

“They’ve reformed the stoma and she’s now having help breathing with a breathing tube down her throat.

“She will be much more comfortable with the stoma for the next few years.”

A family member set up a Go Fund Me page to help Jade and her fiance Lewis.

Jade, 20, of Woolpack Lane, Braintree, said:“Unfortunately the outside world doesn’t stop when you have a child in hospital and bills still need to be paid.

“This has added more stress on to what has already been an extremely stressful four months.

“We just want to say thank you to those who donated and helped us through the struggle. It’s appreciated more than you’ll ever know.

“It’s one thing we no longer have to worry about until the new year and can just concentrate on getting our daughter well and home.”

She said she would like this to be a quiet and personal time for the family considering Darcie has had a major operation and a huge set back.