What a difference a year makes.
Yesterday, 7kg tot Hannah-Ruth Spence was all smiles as she marked her first birthday with her parents Megan and Josh Spence, of Dunedin.
A year ago Hannah-Ruth's life hung in the balance as her body, which weighed 680g, struggled to keep her alive in a world she was 16 weeks early for.
Mrs Spence said the family were ''over the moon'' to celebrate the milestone they were not sure would ever happen.
''We visited Nicu (neonatal intensive care unit) on her birthday and I said to Josh I was pretty sure I would cry ...
''One year ago it was pretty terrifying, so to go back and have some of the same nurses and doctors, to be honest the odds were stacked against us, so for them to see how well she is doing is special.''
Despite some people questioning whether Hannah-Ruth would survive, today there were few signs of the fight she had been through, Mrs Spence said.
''You would never know she was a prem baby until you ask how old she is.''
Hannah-Ruth was now 8 months adjusted, close to crawling, and a chatterbox with a love of pineapple and kumara.
Her parents praised the support of staff in Nicu whom they came to know well during Hannah-Ruth's 97-day stay.
''The paediatricians, nurses, charge nurses, student nurses, even the cleaners, they were all part of the team.
''If it wasn't for them our story would be a lot different,'' Mr Spence said.
They also believed skin-to-skin contact with their daughter played a key role in her development.
Life had not been without challenges.
On her first night at home Hannah-Ruth stopped breathing and needed emergency CPR from her parents.
However, the family remain relentlessly positive, Mrs Spence said.
She encouraged others with premature babies to be the same.
''On the really hard days to remember there is hope, that there is light at the end of the tunnel and man it's good.''
Hannah-Ruth celebrated her birthday with a party on Saturday where she smashed and feasted on a birthday cake in front of family and friends.
