PARENTS are staying positive even though it is unlikely their baby daughter will spend her first Christmas at home.

Darcie Musto was born on July 31, five weeks early, weighing just over five pounds.

She was born with Gastroschisis, which is a birth defect of the abdominal wall.

Darcie, now 19 weeks old, had her intestines outside of her body.

Since Darcie, from Braintree, was born she has been in and out of Great Ormand Street Hospital, and has had surgery to put her intestines back in place.

As her condition is so complex, she has spent 11 weeks of her life in hospital.

A family member set up a Go Fund Me page to help Darcie's mum, Jade Adams, and her dad, Lewis.

Miss Adams, 20, from Woolpack Lane, and her fiancé Lewis wanted to thank everyone for the financial support.

She said: "At the 12 week scan we found out she would be born with Gastroschisis.

"We did a fundraising event for Great Ormond Street 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.

"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.

"Darcie is making progress slowly but surely although being home for our first Christmas doesn't look promising."

However, during this time, the couple needed financial help to get them through a difficult period.

Miss Adams 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 onto what has already been an extremely stressful four months.

"A Go Fund Me page was set up by one of Lewis's family members to help us with bills.

"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.