PUBLISHED ONJune 27, 2026 12:00 AMBYLim KeweiA couple returned from their Vietnam vacation with one more precious "cargo'" — their baby girl, born prematurely at 27 weeks and one day.
Their extraordinary birth journey was shared by the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children in a Facebook post celebrating their discharge from the hospital on Monday (June 22).
According to a handwritten note penned by the new father, identified only as Chen, he and his pregnant wife had travelled to Vietnamese city of Da Nang for a "short holiday" on March 10 before returning to Singapore "to wait for the arrival of our princess girl".
But his wife began experiencing discomfort the night before their flight home and was admitted to the hospital.
She was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia, a serious complication where the mother experiences high blood pressure, leakage of protein in the urine, and/or other signs of organ damage. It can affect her life as well as the baby's.
"Our life changed, tone switched 180 degrees," Chen's letter read.
"Suddenly, we have to face life and death in a foreign country and communicating using only Google translate."
The medical team put in all effort to manage the condition for two weeks, but ultimately assessed that the foetus had to be delivered early to save both lives, the hospital said.
This was because doctors had detected signs of severe fetal distress, prompting an emergency birth on March 27, reported local media outlet Tuoi Tre News.
The newborn weighed just 720g and suffered conditions including respiratory distress, pulmonary hypertension, and blood glucose disorders.
She was admitted to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, where she fought the odds and was eventually able to breathe on her own and breastfeed from her mother, according to the hospital's post.
After spending almost three months in hospital, the baby was finally discharged.
Chen conveyed his deep gratitude to the doctors and staff of the hospital in his letter, whose kindness and friendliness triumphed over language and communication woes.
"We were fortunate to have the help (of) a team of kind doctors and nurses. God bless you!"
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