But her parents, Bunbury couple Michelle and Sekonia Koroivawai, are still feeling the double heartache of almost losing their baby and paying back the $53,000 they shelled out to the Australian Government in order to save her life.

Their ordeal began five months ago on the South Pacific island of Fiji.

Waiting for Sekonia’s visa to come through, newly-married Michelle and Sekonia had been living between Fiji and Australia when Kate was born on the island two months premature.

Just two days after her birth, Kate developed a pneumothorax and doctors at Lautoka Hospital were forced to insert tubes into her chest to release the air caught in her chest cavity so she could breathe.

“The doctors told us she would die but she pulled through,” Michelle said.

However, a week later Kate was rushed back to hospital after turning blue.

Doctors found another pneumothorax and diagnosed Kate with congenial emphysema, a chronic obstructive lung disease.

But with little equipment and no surgeons, they were unable to help. “They told us that all they could do for her there was ventilate her until she died,” Michelle said.

The couple were prepared to book a commercial airliner in order to fly her home for treatment, but were told the air pressure on a regular flight would have burst Kate’s fragile lungs.

Their only hope was to use the Australian Government’s medivac – which would cost them more than $50,000.

“The embassy told us that they could save her but it would cost $53,000,” Michelle said.

“It was devastating because we didn’t have any money. This was our baby’s life – we’d give everything we could. We basically rang everyone we knew and begged for money.”

With Michelle’s mother and step-father taking out a second mortgage on their home, the couple were able to fork out the cash for the necessary transport and on June 27 Michelle and Kate landed in Australia. They had to pay for Sekonia’s flight on a commercial airline.

Doctors in Sydney found that Kate’s heart had been squashed by her right lung so they ventilated her on her left lung and put her in an induced coma.

“That was nearly as bad as in Fiji,” Michelle said. “It was like she was dead.”

Though little Kate thankfully recovered and Michelle and Sekonia say they would “give everything and do it over” to save her life, they are now questioning why they had to pay $53,000 for the special flight. “We don’t know how the government can go out and spend millions on people who get lost and not even spend $53,000 on our baby’s life,” Michelle said.