Two-week-old Nelia was born on November 28. Her oesophagus, which connects her stomach and her mouth, was not formed correctly. The rare birth defect meant Nelia was unable to digest her food.

Dili-based paediatrician Ingrid Bucens contacted Rotary Australia and Monash Children's agreed to take on the case. Nelia was flown to Darwin with her mother, Maria, and then on to Melbourne.

Rotary Australia's branches in Chadstone and East Malvern looked after Maria by putting her up in Ronald McDonald House in Clayton while her daughter underwent surgery.

Surgeon Peter Ferguson said Nelia was being monitored to make sure there were no serious complications after the operation.

He said that initially his team had been faced with a medical emergency.

"This procedure is usually done straight after birth so we had to move quickly," he said. "At two kilos, she is very fragile. Our aim is to send her to East Timor a happy and healthy baby."

John Benger, the southern director of Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children, said that without treatment Nelia would have not seen Christmas.

"As a result of what we've done, this little child is going to see 40 or 50 Christmases and you just feel very proud of Rotary being a small cog in a huge process. I've done lots of things in business and lots of things in my life and I've had more enjoyment out of doing this than anything I've ever done in my life," he said.

"Children hold a special place at Christmas and I think Australia, Monash and Rotary can have a small glow of satisfaction as, hopefully, this baby will have a Christmas."