Little Henry Dryburgh never stops smiling – but in the first weeks of his life he was so ill his parents were told to say goodbye several times.
The 16-month-old’s battle for survival began before he was even born, after he stopped growing in his mother’s womb just 23 weeks into the pregnancy.
At birth, he was so premature his lungs and facial features had still to fully develop.
Henry, who weighed just 1lb 9oz, also suffered two bleeds to his brain and his devastated parents, Lauren Knight and Grant Dryburgh, were warned that even if he did survive, he would likely have significant brain damage.
The tot had so many tubes put down his throat he now has a phobia of having anything in his mouth – including food.
But he has astounded medics with his incredible resilience and is already on to his next challenge – learning to talk.
Devoted Miss Knight, 22, from Alford, said: “We were told quite a few times that he wasn’t going to survive. It was horrific.
“They couldn’t get him off ventilation. Every time they tried he started to struggle. His oxygen requirements were up at 100% four times and we were told there was nothing else they could do for him. But miraculously he started to bring his numbers down on his own.
“He’s just amazing and now he never stops smiling. It’s unbelievable he’s come out of it pretty much unscathed.”
Routine scans during her pregnancy showed Henry was measuring much smaller than he should and doctors initially thought her unborn baby was suffering from dwarfism.
But at 29 weeks they confirmed the placenta – which provides oxygen and nutrients to the foetus – had become restricted at 23 weeks, and it was a race against time to deliver him.
The tot, who also needed several blood transfusions and two hernia operations to close gaps in his stomach wall, spent the next five months clinging to life at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital’s neonatal unit.
Miss Knight only got her first cuddle when Henry was five weeks old, which she admits was “terrifying” as he was still smaller than her hand and full of tubes, wires and needles.
So when she finally got to take her baby home it was a dream come true – and a moment she feared might never happen.
But the family’s joy was short-lived, as just seven weeks after Henry got home, he was rushed back into hospital with a life-threatening chest infection.
To boost his oxygen levels and keep him hydrated, doctors had to put a nasal gastric tube up his nose and down the back of his throat and since then he has refused to have anything in his mouth – including food. Instead he has to be fed through a tube in his stomach.
With the help of the community, however, the family has raised £4,000 so he can take part in a specialist online weaning programme to help him eat again. He is expected to start it later this month.
Miss Knight said: “It will make such a difference to him and he deserves it.
“He has fought more than anyone to be here and we couldn’t be prouder. He’s just amazing.”