Family of premature baby born on holiday in Turkey 'so grateful' for support to bring him home

The family of a baby boy born prematurely while on holiday in Turkey say they are "so grateful" for all the support they have received in trying to bring him home.

Emma Baxter, a manager at McDonald's in Norwich, was just six months into her pregnancy when she went into early labour.

Jack was born weighing just a kilo, the same as a bag of sugar, and is in hospital on life support.

Emma and her partner Daniel have been told that baby Jack will need to remain in hospital for up to four months and are facing a £200,000 bill to get him home.

A fundraising page has been set up by Emma and Daniel's sister in law to help support the family. So far it has raised more than £16,000.

Luanne Metcalf, Emma's sister-in-law, said: "Every day you go on there and you're more and more happy at the little or big amounts, we're so appreciative.

"It's building up towards paying their medical cost. That's one step further to getting little Jack home, and getting them home as a family. It's huge we're so grateful."

Emma, who is on holiday with her partner Daniel and their two daughters, said: "I don't think it has really sunk into both of us that we have got a son, because we have not really been able to have that freedom and contact with him.

"He came out within 10, 15 minutes of me being sort of picked up from here and taken to the hospital.

"Then within another five minutes they whipped me straight down and I never knew anything about my son until I woke up.

"All they said to me was that he was alive and that was it."

The family have been told Jack will need to stay in hospital for four months - at a cost of €1,000 (£850) a day.

They assumed they had insurance but later found out they did not.

The only way to bring Jack home is on a £42,000 medical flight, something Emma's boss at McDonald's in Norwich has offered to pay for.

Emma said: "The fact he is willing to do this for one of the managers of his stores - if it wasn't for him - I really don't know what we would have done.

"I think it would have broken Daniel because he is the one who has been trying to carry it all.

"I don't think until we get home it is going to sink in.

"We haven't been able to have that bond with our son, that is the hardest thing for us at the moment."

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