AMAZING GRACE; Given a 1% chance of survival, baby's life machine is switched off.. as mum cuddles her, she breathes on her own.

Byline: RICHARD SMITH

FOR four days her parents watched the life ebb from her six-week-old body as she battled in vain against the brain bug meningitis.

As doctors gave up hope and turned off baby Grace Vincent's life support machine, her parents cradled her and waited for her to die in their arms.

The moment never came.

Instead, in a medical miracle, Grace - slowly, uncertainly at first - began to breathe on her own. Within hours she was feeding. By yesterday she was well enough to be sent home with disbelieving but over-joyemum Emily Ashurst and marine dad Pete Vincent, 26.

Emily, also 26, said: "We're over the moon. We were told she had catastrophic brain damage and had no chance of living.

"But she managed it and we are really happy. She cried on Thursday for the first time in four weeks and that was the nicest sound in the world. It was amazing to hear her do that. I think it's miraculous."

The story of the tot dubbed Amazing Grace - at one stage given just a one per cent chance of survival - has touched hearts so far and wide that a church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has her photo on its altar.

Grace was born healthy on April 3 but was rushed to hospital after her mum spotted purple skin blotches.

Doctors diagnosed group B streptococcus meningitis - a bug carried by one in four women of maternal age - and took her into intensive care. Hospital worker Emily, of Newcastle, said: "There were 15 doctors at one point.

The machines were going, tubes were inside her, her eyes were taped up. Doctors said they had never seen a girl as poorly. It was heart-breaking."

As hope faded, Grace was baptised and her parents then braced themselves for her life support to be switched off.

Mum-of-two Emily said: "They put her in my arms. We were told she might gasp for air before she died. We had to say when we were ready for them to take the tube out of her nose.

We held her and waited for her last breath." Then came her fightback.

A month later, she is making steady progress. Emily said: "Her breathing has stabilised, showing her brain stem isn't damaged." She is blind but her mum hopes that may change. Emily added: "None of the doctors know what the future holds and we are still worried for her but are also hoping things will improve."

Pete, who had just returned from Afghanistan when she fell ill, said: "She's a real fighter. She's defied the odds."

Hospital neurologist Dr Ki Pang added: "No one thought she would survive. We wish Grace and her family all the best for the future."

CAPTION(S):

FIGHTER In hospital TENDER Pete bids her a last farewell GRIEF Emily holds tot after docs pull plug