KEY POINTS:
The only child of a young Samoan couple crawls around happily, cries when she's hungry and - like any other baby - is the apple of her parents' eye.
But this baby was born with such serious facial deformities doctors didn't expect her to survive longer than a day.
She is now two months old and has been called Baby Miracle by her parents, who are delighted their firstborn has defied the doctors' predictions.
They took her home after three days from the hospital in Falelatai because they didn't believe the hospital was feeding her, convinced she would die.
Before that, they secretly fed her, dripping milk into her mouth.
Auckland-based producer of Samoa TV, Taufau Aukuso, has launched an appeal to raise money to bring Baby Miracle and her parents to New Zealand to first determine what Baby Miracle is suffering from and to get medical help for her.
If she stays untreated in Samoa, she will die.
"They don't know what is wrong with her. They've said her brain may be smaller [than normal] but they just don't know," Ms Aukuso said.
"It won't be until she's here that we will know what we're dealing with."
Her mother has to squeeze food and milk through a special straw into Baby Miracle's mouth to keep her alive.
"It's hard on the parents. They're young and don't have much money. This is their first child and the first grandchild for the family."
Ms Aukuso told the Weekend Herald about $5000 had been raised since a documentary aired on Triangle TV on Monday night, but she'd had problems with the hospital where Baby Miracle was born who hadn't been able to locate a crucial report.
"We have been talking to Middlemore Hospital [about possible treatment] but they told us they need to see a report from the hospital where she was born."
The report was due to be faxed to New Zealand last night.
Ms Aukuso said the hospital initially denied Baby Miracle existed.
"They hid it in Samoa ... It wasn't until after the documentary that people talked about it."
Doctors reportedly kept the baby secret to protect the family.
The Survival Foundation in Apia is now helping the couple care for her.
* If you want to contribute to the fundraising for Baby Miracle, the account name is: Baby Miracle Appeal Account, number 03-0173-0573333-000, or go to any Westpac branch and mention Baby Miracle.
www.babymiracle.co.nz
