When Amy Hackett was 20 weeks pregnant doctors told her the chances of her unborn baby surviving were next to nothing because fluid was leaking from her womb.

Seven weeks later they told the devastated mum that even if she carried him to full term, there was no chance of the tot taking his first breath.

He was born at 32 weeks and he beat all expectations by surviving, although the brave lad has had to fight almost every day since.

Mrs Hackett, 31, said: “In hospital it was an absolute nightmare. I kept going back and always expected to hear the worst.

“With my first child Izzy, we were happy and planning for the birth.

“But with Alfie we were planning for a funeral rather than a birth. We knew he wouldn’t be coming home.”

Alfie was born at the John Radcliffe Hospital on August 4, 2010, and taken straight into intensive care for nine days.

Mrs Hackett, a teacher at Lord Williams’s School in Thame, said: “After 10 days we had our first cuddle. It was lovely.

“He was very poorly, but he was still alive.”

He spent a total of seven weeks in hospital, but returned home with his family a week before his actual due date.

And unfortunately for the family, the last 18 months haven’t proved easy either.

Because of the birth complications, the toddler has chronic lung disease, which means any illness can have drastic consequences.

He is also hooked up to oxygen tanks 24 hours a day.

Mrs Hackett said: “Christmas 2010, Alfie contracted RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which is a common virus but it had a horrendous effect on him.

“He was taken straight into hospital on December 18 and put on the highest ventiliator.

“No one expected he’d survive.”

The family – including dad Anthony and sister Izzy, now three, spent Christmas and New Year in intensive care.

Alfie pulled through, but has suffered numerous bouts of bronchitis and been readmitted to hospital five times in the past year.

Mrs Hackett said: “He got ill again this Christmas, so we spent the day in the hospital again as a family.

“It’s sad because Izzy hasn’t had the chance for a real Christmas either and she’s missing out, though the hospital staff there spoiled her rotten.”

The Hacketts now hope an RSV vaccination will prevent the same nightmare happening to Alfie in the future.

Although it just produces common cold-like symptoms in adults, the illness could have life-threatening consequences for the toddler.

Mrs Hackett said: “Unfortunately it is not available on the NHS because he is too old, so we have decided to raise the money ourselves.

“He’s fought so hard to get to this point, we’d never forgive ourselves if anything happened now.

“He’s our little fighter.”

Each of the five vaccinations he needs cost £700 before VAT and the family would also like to buy an oxygen monitor for his bed.

To raise the money, the Hacketts are holding a fundraising sale with stalls and raffles at the Thame Barns Centre in Church Road on Saturday, January 28. It will run from 10am to 1pm.