A NEWBORN baby stunned doctors by surviving Covid after her mum "planned her funeral".

Averly McGuinness was "hours" away from death after catching the virus, leaving her mother Chloe Connolly completely heartbroken.

The 25-year-old had given birth nine weeks early to the tiny tot and her twin Esmaè at their home in Airdrie last September.

Glasgow Times: Averly was very ill from covidAverly was very ill from covid

She delivered the girls herself with partner Darren McGuinness before the babies were rushed to the University Hospital Wishaw, where Averly then tragically caught Covid.

The infant was also suffering from chronic lung disease as a result of being born so early, allowing the virus to quickly overwhelm her.

Doctors transferred the youngster to the Royal Children's Hospital in Glasgow were she was put into a coma and hooked up to a ventilator.

Glasgow Times: Averly defied all odds and survived Averly defied all odds and survived

Devastated Chloe began planning Averly’s funeral flowers and arrangements in her head as she feared the worst, but was stunned when the determined baby began to bounce back.

She was then reunited with her twin in the Wishaw neonatal unit, leaving doctors "shocked" at her return.

Now at seven-months-old she is home with her relieved family who are celebrating the miraculous recovery.

Glasgow Times: Lucky Esmaè avoided covidLucky Esmaè avoided covid

Chloe said: “It has been a complete rollercoaster for us, we didn't think she would survive to start with.

“The doctors had told us we were looking at hour by hour, they couldn’t even say she had days left.

“They transferred her to the Royal Children's Hospital and had a neonatal surgeon in the ambulance in case anything went really wrong.

“We drove behind them and I couldn’t help but think how I was about to have to plan a funeral for her soon.

“I started to think about flowers and arrangements in my head, it was horrible.

Glasgow Times: The tiny twins were nine weeks earlyThe tiny twins were nine weeks early

“Thankfully I didn’t have to do that because after being put in a coma and on a ventilator she started to get better. We couldn’t believe it.

“Averly had so many drips but slowly doctors started taking them off her and we realised she was getting much stronger. After two weeks she was even able to leave the Royal.

“When she came back to the Wishaw neonatal unit the staff were all shocked to see her.

“I don't know how she did it, she was so tiny and just had the strength to pull through.”

Glasgow Times: Darren and Chloe with their three girls Darren and Chloe with their three girls

Inspiring Chloe delivered the twins herself "without even paracetamol" in her bedroom at 3am on September 7.

The super mum-of-four had felt sudden pains and phoned an ambulance with paramedics arriving 28 minutes later to find the babies already born.

Glasgow Times: The twins after being born at homeThe twins after being born at home

Vulnerable Averly then caught Covid one month later along with her mum, dad, and two siblings Aillie McGuinness, one, and Ollie Ritchie, eight, but luckily not her twin Esmaè despite them sharing a cot.

Sadly this meant her worried parents were unable to visit the twins as they were stuck in isolation themselves at home.

When they finally could attend the hospital again they were told on October 4 that the odds of Averly pulling through were extremely slim.

Glasgow Times: Chloe is thrilled to have both girls homeChloe is thrilled to have both girls home

But after spending 14 days at Royal Children's Hospital, and then returning to the Wishaw neonatal unit, the twins were both discharged on November 12.

Chloe said she is only now beginning to process the ordeal now she has all her family at home, and hopes Averly and Esmaè will outgrow their chronic lung disease.

She said: “I was feeling rubbish and overnight I started to get really bad pains, it all happened so fast.

“We were on the phone to paramedics for 28 minutes and by the time they arrived the twins were born.

“I had them in the bedroom because I couldn’t even make it to the toilet, I just bent down and grabbed them myself.

“Averly was born first and six minutes later so was Esmaè. I never even had a paracetamol.

Glasgow Times: Chloe has thanked the NHS for their dedicated workChloe has thanked the NHS for their dedicated work

“The month later Averly got Covid and we had to deal with all that. None of it really hit me till recently.

“I feel like a different person now compared to then. It has been a lot but the NHS have been so great.

“The doctors and nurses have all been so brilliant, everyone we came across has been so supportive and really helpful.”