JOANNE Long was due to have a ''low risk'' pregnancy.

However, at 26 weeks she was rushed into the West Cumberland Hospital where, within an hour, she was given an emergency Caesarean. 

The staff, she said, saved her life and the life of her baby son, Jake, born last July.

Life-saving training from the hospital's nurses also enabled her to TWICE save the life of Jake who, upon returning home, stopped breathing.

Now, currently staying with Jake at Newcastle's RVI hospital where he is waiting for surgery, Joanne contacted the Whitehaven News to praise the staff at WCH, voice her concerns about its future and join in our campaign.

She said: "This is why I am so mad about any attempts to remove services. The staff at the WCH did everything right to keep Jake alive. We have been through a horrific time but all the staff have been fantastic.'' 

JOANNE, 37, and her fiance, Mark Harris, 30, of Egremont, had had 'numerous' attempts at IVF before she became pregnant in early 2015. Whatever the result, it was to be the couple's final attempt. 

She said: "When I found out I was pregnant it did come as a shock as I thought it would never happen. 

"At 26 weeks I felt fine. We had just been on a cruise when I felt funny so went to see the midwife.'' After being checked over, and not finding anything wrong, she returned home. 

Within 10 minutes of getting home she was sick and her waters broke. Her grandmother who was in the house at the time rang for an ambulance. 

Landing at the hospital it was discovered Joanne was losing large blood clots and an emergency Caesarean needed to be performed "within the hour'' as she had suffered a placenta abruption. 

During surgery it was discovered that Joanne's bowel had wrapped itself around her uterus. Her son, Jake, was born on July 21, 14 weeks early, weighing 2lb 2oz, and put in an incubator. Luckily there was a bowel surgeon in the hospital who dealt with the bowel complications following her surgery. 

Joanne thanked consultants Andrea Hamilton and Sarah Pennington for their work during the Caesarean. "I wouldn't have survived if I had had to travel 40 miles down the road as I was bleeding such big clots,'' Joanne said. 

Following his birth Jake suffered a haemorrhage, with blood spilling from his mouth, and he was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital. Mark followed him. Staff at the hospital told him Jake "wouldn't last the night'' and to gather the couple's families. 

Joanne travelled over, not knowing the severity of Jake's condition. She said: "I wasn't prepared to see him look so tiny with all the wires coming off him. It was one of those shivers down the spine moments. 

"The staff asked if I wanted him christened, but I said I wanted him to have a proper christening as I was adamant everything was gong to be okay.'' Eventually Jake became stable and began "fighting back''. 

He was put on a ventilator with Mark and Joanne unable to hold him for four weeks. 

Following that, Jake was in and out of hospital. On November 14, on being released to home, Jake turned blue and Joanne gave him CPR for 10 minutes before the ambulance arrived to take him to WCH. 

She had been taught these vital life-saving skills by the dedicated staff at the hospital's Special Care Baby Unit. 

Joanne said: "I think I just went into a zone. It was only afterwards when the staff told me I had saved his life that I began to shake and realise just what I had done.'' 

She would like to thank Julia Quinn and Celia Branthwaite (special baby care nurses). She also praised the A&E staff and the consultant Jason Gace who stayed after his shift to ensure Jake got to Newcastle RVI. 

Joanne would also like to thank her parents, Kath and Les Long, and Mark's parents, Stephen and Anne Harris. As well as community nurse Maria Morton and Jayne Parker-Weir, her health visitor.

Jake, who now weighs 11lb 3oz was also rushed to the RVI on Boxing Day, after being cared for by Dr Arun Kannatt at WCH, where he remains with Joanne by his side, with Mark visiting when he is off work. 

She said: "We will be staying here until he receives operations on his heart and stomach. 

"I just want to get home and enjoy Jake, instead of being terrified something will happen to him. We are away from home, but here I can relax and sleep properly knowing he is being cared for by hospital staff.''