Miracle baby Arlo celebrates his first birthday in style

By Laura Lyne

ONE of Tallaght’s most courageous superheroes who has managed to overcome the odds celebrated his milestone first birthday this week.

Little “King” Arlo Ethan O’Rorke from Tallaght, who was born 16 weeks prematurely on August 12 last year and weighed just 700g at birth, celebrated with his family and friends at a birthday party on Friday.

Arlo was joined at his party by six of his friends who also spent time in the NICU in the Coombe Hospital during his 121-day stay after he was born.

His mother, Laura Davis, spoke to The Echo about his progress after overcoming sepsis, eight blood transfusions, kidney stones, a hernia, significant hearing loss and a possible diagnosis of cerebral palsy in his lower limbs.

Laura told The Echo: “Arlo is getting huge now, he’s 16 pounds. He’s doing great. He’s with Enable Ireland every week now, and he’s currently going through six weeks of intensive therapy to help with his lower limbs.

“He’s definitely improving, the exercises are working.

“Arlo’s not sitting up yet, but he’s also with speech and therapy and occupational therapy with Enable Ireland, but they said that his milestones will come with time and he’s just been fitted for a chair that will be specially made for him.

“His party was great, and all his friends that were in the Coombe with him were there with their parents. They’re all miracle babies too, and it was great to see them together, they’re doing brilliant.

“All our family and friends were there, my uncle even flew in from New Zealand and he had never met Arlo before.

“My nanny was 90 on Saturday, so we had a lot of family and friends there who got to meet Arlo for the first time. It was a great weekend.”