Kym Marsh has spoken of her “emotional” reunion with the nurse who helped to save her daughter’s life when she was born prematurely.
The Coronation Street star’s daughter Polly was born seven weeks early in 2011, and the actress said she thought she might have died had it not been for the NHS staff looking after her.
She and Polly, now seven, went to meet critical care matron Kath Eaton at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, and Kym said it was “wonderful” to see her daughter with the woman who cared for her as a baby.
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She told ITV’s Lorraine: “She hasn’t seen her since she left the unit, which was seven years ago now.
“And of course Polly has no memory of Kath, so explaining to Polly who Kath was and to see her say thank you was lovely and we all got a little emotional.”
Kym, who lost her son Archie in 2009 when he was born 18 weeks prematurely, added: “I was touch and go, my whole pregnancy with Polly was very much touch and go.
“I was in and out of hospital a lot. We knew she was going to be premature, we didn’t know how premature.”
In a pre-recorded segment, Kym broke down in tears as she recounted the trauma of Polly’s birth, and nearly losing her.
Kym praised the staff at St Mary’s. “It’s what they are doing every day, that’s just my story,” she said.
“Think of all the people they are doing that every day for.”
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Kym shares Polly with her ex-husband Jamie Lomas, who is also the father of Archie.
She has elder children David, 23, and Emilie, 21, from her relationship with former partner Dave Cunliffe.
The NHS’s 70th anniversary will be celebrated in ITV’s one-off special The Big NHS Singalong Live, where Marsh will be seen being reunited with the nurse.