When Baxter Dick was born two weeks prematurely with a rare condition, leaving him paralysed from the chest down, there seemed no hope for his survival.
Indeed, doctors in Aberdeen told his mum and dad that he would die within days.
But now, less than five years later, the youngster has defied the doctors’ gloomy prognoses and is savouring his first days as a pupil at Dyce Primary School.
Baxter – who has been diagnosed with spina bifida, scoliosis and hydrocephalus – is unable to move his body below his ribcage, and relies on a wheelchair and standing frame to get around.
But his mother, Ailsa, said that, thanks to the support of his new friends at the school and the help of teaching staff, her son could enjoy school life just like any other able-bodied child.
Mrs Dick, 39, added: “The doctors basically told us he wouldn’t make it through birth.
“Then they said that, if by some miracle he did survive the recovery, he would be so severely mentally, physically and neurologically disabled afterwards, it would be better for him not to live – and yet now he’s turning five in October.
“It felt absolutely amazing getting him dressed up and getting his photo taken for his first day of school.
“I always thought he would go to mainstream education, and a lot of people looked at me with raised eyebrows, but I knew he’d get there.”
Baxter is already in his third week of school, but his teachers and schoolfriends have been told not to treat him differently to any other child to help nurture his independence and encourage him to learn how to deal with life’s challenges on his own.
Mrs Dick said: “We’ve brought him up with the attitude that the world won’t necessarily adapt to him, so he is going to have to learn to adapt to his surroundings, and the school makes sure we’re in a constant dialogue to ensure everything is how it should be.
“He’s on course to be a fully contributing member of society, and I don’t think there is anything that can hold him back.”
