'I want to celebrate the fact he made it and is a healthy, happy chappy' First birthday for baby born three months early.

Byline: Sarah Bunney

A YEAR ago, little Tom Steven was born at just 24 weeks - three months early - and was given a 35% chance of survival.

His parents, Justine and Mark, had no idea whether their baby would make it home from hospital, let alone be there to celebrate his first birthday.

Yet today he has defied the doctors and grown from a tiny 1lbs 13oz baby to being as happy and healthy as any other one-year-old.

Justine, 33, from Old St Mellons, near Cardiff, suffered an extreme form of morning sickness throughout her pregnancy.

"I started having bleeds from six weeks, and it continued until 21 weeks, which was serious enough for me to be admitted to hospital," said Justine, also mum to four-year-old Jacob.

"Then, at 24 weeks, I went back into hospital and doctors told me I was 3cm dilated, which was a complete shock.

"I was taken to the delivery suite and we were told that Tom only had a 35% chance of pulling through because he was so premature."

After an agonising two and a half hour wait for Justine and Mark, 36, Tom was born.

"He was taken from me straight away, and it was about 40 minutes before I could see him, which seemed like forever," said Justine.

"Then I was told he had a 50% chance of developing cerebral palsy.

"I lay on the bed and was completely traumatised - I couldn't take it all in.

"He was in the incubator and I kept looking at him, then looking at my right hand, and he was only just longer than my hand.

"I was completely devastated and cried for three weeks," said Justine.

"Doctors rattle off these statistics but it's not what you want to think about when you've just become parents."

Tom needed laser eye surgery because his eyes weren't properly open, a double hernia operation and a specialist procedure at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children to help him breathe independently.

After spending the first four months of his life in hospital and reaching a healthier weight of 5lbs, he was allowed to come home for the first time.

"It was a bit of a mad rush when we got home - we hadn't bought anything because technically we had another three months to get ready for a baby," said Justine, a former primary school teacher.

"Jacob thought of the name Tom after his favourite cartoon, Tom and Jerry!

"He has the most gorgeous smile and it makes it all worthwhile when we think what he has been through.

"He is starting to move around now. It's not quite a crawl - more of a belly flop - but he has made such huge progress."

Tom is having a birthday party at the St Mellons Hotel today with 50 friends and family, including some of the nurses at the neo-natal unit of the University Hospital of Wales.

Instead of presents, Justine and Mark, a chartered surveyor, have asked that donations be made to the unit.

"The staff were absolutely amazing and we want to give something back to them," said Justine.

"We're hoping to raise enough money to buy Spenco mattresses that are used at the children's hospital in Bristol.

"They are softer for babies and mould around them, especially when they have to lie on them for 23 hours of the day."

The couple are also taking part in the Cardiff half marathon in October to raise even more money.

"I just want to celebrate the fact that Tom made it, and is a healthy, happy chappy," Justine added. "Today is the day we never thought we would see."

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CAPTION(S):

Baby Tom was born at 24 weeks Justine Steven with baby Tom, who is celebrating his first birthday after doctors gave him just a 35% chance of survival when he was born prematurely PICTURE: Andrew Davies [umlaut]