A 'superhero' boy who had surgery while in the womb is already learning to crawl despite a devastating diagnosis.
Preston Mark Middleton was diagnosed with Spina Bifida, a condition which causes a baby's spine and spinal cord to develop improperly in the womb.
Doctors scanned mum Deborah and told her the unborn child had birth defect which can cause weakness or total paralysis of the legs, Chronicle Live reported.
It also caused Chiari 2 malformation - a condition of the cerebellum that can put pressure on parts of the brain and spinal cord.
In a bid to give Preston his best chance, Deborah underwent fetal surgery in Belgium when she was 25 weeks pregnant to repair his spine.
And then at 36 weeks, Preston entered the world via a C-section.
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He remained in intensive care while doctors monitored his progress before he was allowed to return home on December 23.
The diagnosis came as a huge shock to Deborah and 33-year-old dad David, 33.
Deborah said: "When we got the diagnosis, they gave us quite a bleak outlook of children with Spina Bifida.
"I was told Preston would not have a very good quality of life, he would not be able to do much for himself like walk and run.
"I know they have to give you the worst-case scenarios but we just found out our baby had got a condition, it was really difficult.
"They said we had a few options, the first option was a termination which was just horrendous."
Deborah said the family has been on a "rollercoaster of emotions" since Preston's diagnosis but that the little boy is doing "amazingly well".
She said: "It all happened in the middle of the pandemic, it feels a bit like a dream from getting the diagnosis to how he is now, he's doing amazing.
"It's been a rollercoaster of emotions. It's so hard because you don't know what's going to happen or how he is going to do or what his life will be like.
"We were trying for two years before I became pregnant with Preston and it's supposed to be such a happy time but I was just so worried and stressed.
"You get to the point where you just accept the situation and deal with whatever comes next.
"We just told ourselves we're lucky he's been sent to us, he's extra special."
As well as the emotional toll, Deborah also had a scare following the surgery after losing the use of her legs but luckily an emergency MRI scan revealed no long-term damage.
She said: "I couldn't walk and had to use a wheelchair to get around. I went through surgery to give my son the best chance of walking and now I couldn't walk.
"It was a really scary time but I was doing it for Preston so it was all worth it."
Now, 10-months-old, Preston is doing amazingly well despite his condition and is already trying to crawl.
Deborah said: "We went for his first physio session and they were just blown away by him, he's just like a typical child.
"He's met all his milestones up to now. Walking is not something we are going to know about until it happens.
"He's been doing amazingly well, he's been trying to crawl around, and seeing as he's been doing so well they do think he will walk.
"He's the happiest little boy in the world, you would never think he had been through everything he has.
"In his 10 months he's been through more than some people have their whole lifetime but he's still the happiest little boy and he makes us all so proud every day."
Deborah and her partner had to make the call about whether to go ahead with fetal surgery, which can be very risky.
Since the procedure was such a success, the new mum wants to spread the word.
She said: "We want people to know a termination is not their only option because we've spoken to people and some didn't even know it was an option.
"When you're given a diagnosis like this, you don't know what to do. With us sharing Preston's story we hope people will read it and feel hope.
"If we can help just one person who is going through the same thing who is maybe not sure what to do or whether they should have a termination then that would be amazing.
"They say it's a snowflake condition- it affects every child differently so no one knows what is going to happen."
Deborah added: "He's our little superhero, we couldn't be prouder. He's shown us what true bravery, courage, and determination is.
"Most people never meet their hero but we are raising ours. He's such an inspiration."
