Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

A baby girl who risked dying because her oesophagus stopped before reaching her stomach has been saved by doctors.

Erva Kaya was born to first-time parents Murat Kaya, 27, and Ilknur Kaya, 26, in Samsun, northern Turkey.

But Erva risked dying after doctors found she was born with an oesophagus only three centimetres long.

The rare birth defect is called oesophageal atresia and it affects the oesophagus – the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach.

The upper part of the oesophagus fails to connect with the lower oesophagus and stomach. It usually ends in a pouch, which means food cannot reach the stomach.

It often occurs alongside another birth defect known as a tracheo-oesophageal fistula, which is when the lower part of the oesophagus and the windpipe connect.

This causes air to pass from the windpipe to the oesophagus and stomach, and stomach acid to pass into the lungs.

The result of these defects is that the baby cannot swallow safely – or at all.

If not treated within a few days of birth, the baby could also develop potentially deadly issues such as choking or pneumonia.

Murat and Ilknur took little Erva to Dr Ayse Bahar Edirne in Samsun.

The surgeon was quoted as saying: “It’s an extremely rare case. This situation requires surgery. If it is not done, there is no chance of survival.”

In an operation, Dr Edirne lengthened Erva’s oesophagus from three to 15 centimetres before repairing it, thus saving the youngster.

Mum Ilknur said: “We were separated from our child for 25 days. It was a difficult process, but thankfully we got through it successfully.”

And relieved dad Murat said: “When the diagnosis was made, we immediately began investigating. We saw that Dr Edirne had successfully performed this operation before. She helped us. Even in the phone call, she said that she could do the surgery easily. She informed us that it was a treatable ailment. Our baby is currently very healthy.”