A baby who had only lived for 9 days...

For those of you who still haven't heard the story, this is from the Standard. Her story is a testimony of how God worked through the tiny little baby who was born with a congenital defect. And how God used the weak instead of the strong. A very touching story.

"She was tiny. Yet her nine days have not only imprinted marks of love on her parents but also awakened calls from thousands who have closely followed her story online.

Ko Lam-lam was born with a defective diaphragm and her parents knew about it when she was still in her mother's womb.

Her parents refused to follow the advice of doctors that she be aborted, insisting Lam-lam be given a chance, however small, it might be for she was their most precious gift from God.

Her father Ko Cheen-pang and mother Man-ki are Christians.

"We'll never regret that we had been together for only nine days," her parents told The Standard's sister newspaper, Sing Tao Daily. The couple also created a blog to store the "precious moments" they had with their little one.

Since the blog was created two months ago, more than 13,000 browsers have read Lam-lam's touching story.

Recently, the parents added a message to the blog dedicated to their daughter: "If there's ever a day God would ask us to choose between Lam-lam having never appeared before us at all or there being only nine days of union, we'll definitely answer `nine days."'

The story began on October 7, 2006.

Immediately after her birth, Lam- lam was placed in the intensive care unit only to be connected to breathing machines. She was quiet and inactive, without the cries which make parents rejoice. Doctors confirmed there was a hole in her diaphragm.

"Every time we heard the machine beep, we got uptight," Ko Cheen-pang said. The tiny girl passed her first day without a drop of her mother's milk.

The next day her parents were allowed to enter the intensive care unit to remain at her bedside, touching her soft skin and whispering to her. She opened her eyes, looking curiously at her parents for the first time.

"At that moment we, the family of three, were together," wrote the Ko couple.

Lam-lam showed more signs of life on day three. She was active and showed her tongue naughtily.

On day four, her limbs moved as she half-opened her eyes to look at her parents. Nurses brought her to another floor for a medical check.

It was the first time she left the intensive care unit.

As her parents began to believe their daughter was making good progress, a shock hit them again.

"Doctors said it was time for the surgery. They explained the worst-case scenario. We were very anxious. Our eyes were swollen with tears."

The doctors were about to operate on the stomach and extend the intestine to the lower end. This was a major operation for an infant who was only four days old.

Her parents waited anxiously outside the operation theater, hoping doctors would come out of the room with good news.

But the surgery failed and doctors suggested removing the breathing machine to end the girl's suffering.

Lam-lam was then baptized and blessed by many of her relatives.

On day seven, the doctors again asked the Ko couple the same question and the parents pleaded with them not to give up.

"It'll be very difficult. The chance of infection would be very high," said doctors.

Lam-lam's conditions worsened the next day. "Hold on if you want to see your dad and mum for one more minute. If you can't, let go and need not worry about your parents," the couple wrote. On October 15, her parents placed toys and clothes beside Lam-lam, made a print of her palm and changed her clothes. That night, she passed away."