WHEN Michelle Shoebridge gave birth to a daughter, it was the moment she thought she would never see.
Michelle, who had dreamed of having a child, believed it was a miracle after being told that she could be infertile.
But little Lillianne was barely 48-hours-old when she died in her hospital bed.
Now her mother is marking what would have been her daughter's first birthday.
"She was a miracle baby," said Michelle, who turned 34 yesterday. "I was told I was infertile, which just makes her death harder.
"I had given up trying for a baby. It's heartbreaking because I thought this could be my only chance to have a baby of my own.
"But she was taken away from me."
Lillianne was born at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol in January but was suffering from a hernia in her chest which was crushing a lung while she was in the womb.
"I lived in hope that she would survive," said Michelle, who lives in Swindon Village.
"It was a traumatic time for me. There were 10 people all in my room waiting for her to come and, when she did, they rushed her away immediately.
"It was unbelievable. I had very little time with her but the staff were all fantastic.
"I decided I would try to stay positive.
"Because it wasn't clear from the scan how severe the lung was, they weren't sure how bad it was.
"I didn't want to believe it and, when she died, I was beside myself. I felt like I was in a dream.
"It would mean everything to me to be a mum. No baby will replace Lillianne whenever that might happen but I want to be a mum more than anything."
To celebrate what would have been Lillianne's first birthday, Michelle has already planned a memorial for her daughter during which she will release pink balloons into the sky.
And she is raising money for the hospital as well as Cancer Research UK in return for the support she had from friend Carrie Bailey, whose dad is fighting the disease.
Yesterday, she spent the day having her long locks cut and restyled by Cheltenham hairdressers Toni Guy and Regent Street-based Martin and Phelps. Her hair will be donated to Bambury Postiche, which specialise in making wigs for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Michelle thanked both firms for their support.