A YEAR ago Jesse Malone’s parents were not sure if he would survive after being born at just 24 weeks.

But despite weighing just 1lb 8oz at birth, less than a bag of sugar, Jesse has pulled through to celebrate his first birthday.

His parents, Stephanie and Jason, are spending a quiet day at home in Rose Hill with their three older sons JJ, five, Brody, three and Flynn, two, to mark Jesse’s first year.

Mrs Malone, 28, said: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since he came home, but we’ve had a fantastic time just being able to go back to normal.

“He’s had bronchitis twice, chickenpox and suspected bronchitis again not long ago.

“But it’s absolutely worth it, he’s a little miracle. I wouldn’t change anything.

“He weighs just under 15lb now, so he’s still small.”

When the tot was born at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital on November 26, 2013, he could fit in the palm of Jason’s hand.

Oxford Mail:

  • He weighed just 1lb 8oz when he was born at 24 weeks

He had problems breathing and needed nitric oxide and suffered from retinopathy of prematurity, an eye disease that causes abnormal blood vessels to grow in the retina.

After several operations and transfusions he was only able to go home for the first time in April, when he was 147 days old.

Mrs Malone added: “He’s doing really well, babbling away and loves his brothers.

“When he’s crawling around you can see he’s dying to get into the thick of it.

“He’s teething as well, we’re waiting for his top two to come through. He’s doing everything we’d hoped him to be doing at this point.”

 

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