A mother who is getting ready to celebrate her premature daughter’s first Christmas at home will join the stars at a Christmas carol service.

Claire O’Brien, who lives in Pinner, will speak at the Sick Children’s Trust annual service about how she gave birth ten weeks early last December.

Eva, whose birth weight of 525g was equivalent to a small bag of sugar, was immediately rushed to surgery where she spent 18 weeks in various hospitals due to health complications.

Mrs O'Brien and her husband, Eddie, spent their first Christmas together as a family at the Royal London Hospital in east London, were they were given a room at Stevenson House, run by the Sick Children's Trust, to be closer to their baby.

Mrs O’Brien, 37,said: “Without The Sick Children’s Trust Stevenson House, a ‘home from home’, my husband Eddie and I would have been lost while Eva was in hospital.

“We didn’t want to leave her side and having the house meant that we didn’t have to worry about commuting home or paying for accommodation close by; it was a life-saver.”

The first-time parents, as well as a healthy baby Eva, are both looking forward to the service at St Marylebone Parish Church in December.

Mrs O’Brien will speak alongside celebrity guests including Christine Hamilton and Ben Aldridge.

She added: “I am so pleased to be able to share Eva’s story at the charity’s carol service, it will be a really special evening and it will be very moving remembering how little Eva’s journey started and how far she has come.

“There are many unpleasant memories of those first few weeks of Eva’s life, where we were so worried for her health, but there were times of immense joy also which we will always remember.

“The Sick Children’s Trust will always be a very special charity to us and we hope to keep in touch with all the house staff. They provide the most wonderful and precious facility to families of sick children and we will never forget them.”

To book tickets to the carol service call 020 7283 4854.