She was born with a rare chromosomal disorder that caused her airways to be blocked. “Daisy was born not breathing,” said her mother, Jess.

“After a quick hour-and-a-half labour, it got surreal. The room filled very quickly with medical staff doing CPR on her, next to the bed.”

Daisy, 4, from Yarrawonga in Victoria’s northeast, underwent a tracheostomy — a surgical procedure where a hole, or stoma, is created in the neck to access the windpipe and assist breathing — at two weeks’ old. She had the stoma removed earlier this month.

“There was no swimming, no sandpits, no splashing in the bath … but lots of infections, machinery, and overnight monitoring. It was very challenging,” Jess said.

Daisy was also unable to speak, or make any form of noise. “It’s very strange to have a baby and not hear a sound. She was completely silent.” Brave Daisy has learned to communicate in sign language.

“She’s taught us, if you’re strong-willed, you don’t need words to get your point across,” Jess said.

Jess said treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and support from locally based health professionals including a physio, speech therapist and complex care nurse, were helping Daisy’s slow road to recovery.

“Daisy’s getting fitter and stronger, we’re doing less trips to hospital, and she’s not sick for so long,” Jess said.

“She’s also started kinder, and she loves it.” She, husband Karl, son George, 7, and Wren, 2, have also learned to exhale and celebrate Daisy’s breakthroughs.