New mother dealt double blow of giving birth to sick baby 3 months early In March, Marilyn Loder, 35, was rushed to hospital in labour, knowing that her own mother Elizabeth Moyle was close to death from breast cancer Baby Elisha was born with a hole in his heart and weighing just 1lb 15oz Ms Loder and husband Rob are now spending every available moment by Elisha's incubator as he makes slow but steady recovery A new mother gave birth to her baby more than three months early - and just hours before her own mother tragically died. In March, Marilyn Loder, 35, was rushed into hospital in labour knowing her own mother was close to death after losing her battled against breast cancer. Mrs Loder gave birth to her son Elisha 14 weeks prematurely who weighed less than 2lb. New mother Marilyn Loder has suffered the double heartbreak of prematurely giving birth to a dangerously ill son and losing her own mother to breast cancer within 15 hours Mrs Loder's mother Elizabeth Moyle, 58, was told the baby had been born and died just 15 hours later. Hairdresser Mrs Loder had to suffer the double heartbreak of losing her mum and the terrible fear that Elisha might not survive. He was born weighing just 1lb 15oz and had a large hole in the heart and other life-threatening conditions. Mrs Loder said: 'It was an emotional roller-coaster - I had the child I longed for but I lost my mum 15 hours later. When Marilyn's son Elisha was born three months early, he weighed just 1lb 15oz and had a large hole in the heart as well as other life-threatening conditions Marilyn and her builder husband Rob (pictured) spend every available second at nine-week-old Elisha's bedside in the Royal Gwent Hospital at Newport in South Wales. The baby boy is making slow but steady progress I went from incredible happiness to terrible grief all on the same day. 'But at least my mum knew she was a grandmother and I'm taking a lot of comfort from that.' Elisha was born nine weeks ago and is still fighting for his life in a hospital's neo-natal unit. He was not due until June 25th and even now he only weighs just over 3lbs. Mrs Loder, of Cwmbran, South Wales, said: 'Elisha was born at 8.20am and my mum died at 11pm She wanted to be a grandma so much. Its so cruel she never got to meet him. She would have adored him. Marilyn said that her late mother Elizabeth Moyle (pictured, left) wanted to be a grandma very much. Husband Rob (pictured, right) is supporting the new mother through her ordeal 'I wasn't allowed to hold him for the first three weeks because he was so very small. I could sort of sit him in the palm of a hand and support him with my fingers, but it was amazing. He stops breathing most days, sometimes several times and when he was born he had a hole in his heart 5.8 millimetres across. For his size that was massive but as the weeks have gone on, the hole has got smaller. 'It's two millimetres now, and they don't have to operate. We just enjoy every day as best we can. They tell you to prepare yourself for the baby being in hospital at least until the original due date, but it could be longer. Baby Elisha stops breathing most days and when he was born he had a hole in his heart 5.8mm wide. However the hole is closing and just 1mm across and surgeons no longer need to operate Mrs Loder and her builder husband Rob spend every available second at Elisha's bedside in the Royal Gwent Hospital at Newport, South Wales. Mrs Moyle was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 42 - the same age as when her own mother was diagnosed with the disease. She died after a brave 16-year battle which included a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. Tests showed she carried the BRCA1 gene - the same as Angelina Jolie who underwent a double mastectomy after discovering she was at high risk of breast cancer. Daughter Mrs Loder said: 'I was offered a test, but I didn't have it because I didn't want my mum thinking she had passed it on. 'When she was first diagnosed, I was in my late teens and I didn't cope with it very well. Marilyn (pictured with husband Rob) is still deciding whether to have the BRCA-1 test to determine whether she carries the same gene that ultimately killed her mother. In the meantime she has started to have annual mammograms - 16 years earlier than usual I was advised to check out the genetic side then, given the family history, but did nothing about it. The second time she got it, 12 years later, I went for genetic counselling. Mrs Loder is still deciding whether to have the test but in the meantime she's having annual mammograms which she started last year, 16 years earlier than usual. She said: 'Now that my mum has died it is a decision I'm going to have to make. But at the moment my priority is my little boy - I just want him to get stronger every day so that we can bring him home.