'Doctors told me to terminate my pregnancy twice - but look at my son now'

A 16-week scan revealed that Jess's babe was astatine precocious hazard of Down's syndrome and determination mightiness beryllium defect with his heart, but aft 2 miscarriages Jess was prepared to springiness her kid a chance

Every birthday, small Oliver Seagrove’s parents instrumentality a peculiar photograph of their son, sitting connected his favourite histrion successful their section park. The latest representation marks different landmark they thought Oliver mightiness ne'er reach, aft helium was calved with lone fractional a heart.

His mum, caregiver Jess, 29, tells the Mirror: “His endurance has been truthful unthinkable that we wanted to people each twelvemonth to amusement what an accomplishment it is.”

Jess and hubby Ashley, 30, were thrilled erstwhile they recovered retired she was pregnant. But an abnormality astatine the 12-week scan led to tests revealing their babe was astatine precocious hazard of Down’s syndrome, positive the anticipation thing was incorrect with his heart.

Jess says: “It was devastating. We were offered further investigations but I’d already suffered 2 miscarriages, truthful we declined. Then we were offered a termination but we refused. We wanted to springiness our babe a chance.”

The 16-week scan revealed Oliver had hypoplastic close bosom syndrome, meaning the close broadside doesn’t make properly. Told 48 hours aboriginal that his information was excessively analyzable for surgery, Jess adds: “I heard this howl coming from acold distant and didn’t realise astatine archetypal that it was coming from me. To beryllium told determination was thing that could beryllium done was unbearable.”

Oliver was calved astatine Birmingham Women’s Hospital connected September 8, 2016, weighing 5lbs 12oz, but his troubles were acold from over. “Doctors said they would enactment a stent successful astatine six days aged to assistance the humor travel astir his fractional heart,” says Jess. “Luckily that went OK.” A further op followed astatine 4 months, erstwhile doctors tried to re-plumb his fractional bosom to assistance it work.

But Oliver suffered a physique up of fluid astir it and for 48 hours his beingness hung successful the balance, with it aboriginal being revealed helium had suffered a stroke. “It was specified a scary time. Doctors said if it had been near for different 2 days, helium wouldn’t person made it,” says Jess, who lives successful Burton-on-Trent, Staffs, with Ashley, Oliver and his sister Elsie, three.

The relieved mum says: “We volition transportation connected taking a photograph connected his day each twelvemonth and we enactment them up astir the location truthful we tin spot each time however acold helium has come. Doctors wanted to terminate my pregnancy doubly but look astatine Oliver now.”