SWNS Bella Moore-Williams defied the odds to survive without the aid of her ventilator

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Eighteen-month-old Bella Moore-Williams’ parents could only watch helplessly as their sedated daughter took what they thought was her last breath. Mother Francesca, 41, and father Lee, 44, wept and took one last photograph with her brother Bobby, five, before her ventilator was switched off. They had also made prints of her hands and feet as a memento and invited family members to the hospital to say farewell. Doctors had told them three times that it was unlikely she would survive after they diagnosed a genetic disease. But 30 minutes later, she began kicking and screaming. Mrs Moore-Williams said: “We had the whole family at our sides.

I will never, ever forget that moment when I had to say goodbye to my daughter Francesca Moore-Williams

“On July 21 we were told to say our goodbyes and the whole family came in one by one to say their goodbyes. “I just kept sitting there thinking ‘why us’. “It was heart wrenching because you see family members [cry] that you’ve never seen cry before. “I will never, ever forget that moment when I had to say goodbye to my daughter.”

SWNS Doctors warned three times that eighteen-month-old Bella was unlikely to survive

Mr Moore-Williams said: “I was holding her hand knowing there was going to be a little last breath. “I could feel her hand dropping and it went down but then she started gripping my finger. “She started moving on her own and then her machine started going off. The doctors then changed everything to try to keep her alive.” The couple had filled out the form to say no special measures should be taken to keep her alive. But after she started fighting for life again, the doctors decided to try and revive her.

SWNS Doctors diagnosed Bella with mitochondrial disease, in which cells fail to produce enough energy

Mr Moore-Williams, an account manager for a building firm, added: “The doctors changed their way of thinking and they went all the way to save her. In those 20 minutes, I realised she wasn’t ready to let go.” Bella’s oxygen levels shot back up to 100 per cent and later her parents were told that she would survive. She is still under treatment but back home in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, with her overjoyed family. They will celebrate Bella’s second birthday next month. Mrs Moore-Williams, a sales superviser, said: “It’s just amazing. It’s like we have won the lottery. “She made our family complete and now it’s great to see how well she is doing. When she says ‘Mama’ it melts my heart.” Bella’s parents became concerned in April when she started losing clumps of hair at just 14 months.

SWNS Bella spent three further weeks on the ward before recovering at home for six weeks

SWNS The Moore-Williams family are looking forward to celebrating a special Christmas together