WHEN Jesse Malone was born at 24 weeks weighing just 24 ounces his parents were not sure if he would live to see his first birthday.

But today they will celebrate as he reaches his second as a healthy and happy toddler.

Mum Stephanie said she and husband Jason were looking forward to celebrating the day without the stresses and strains of last year when Jesse had just recovered from two bouts of bronchitis and one case of chickenpox.

The 29-year-old said: “I cannot believe he has reached his second birthday with the amount of things he has been through.

“His paediatricians have been really, really good and they said he has been doing everything they would have expected him to.

He is walking, which is a massive thing.

“Looking back at all the photos it is so hard to imagine just how small he was.”

Mr and Mrs Malone will be spending the day at home in Rose Hill with their older sons JJ, six, Brody, aged four, and Flynn, two.

After spending much of his first year in and out of hospital Jesse, who was born at the John Radcliffe, has not needed to spend any time in hospital since January.

Mrs Malone said: “We are two months shy of a year since he was in hospital and he is doing really well.

“He is just so happy with everything and he is a real character.

“He loves cars and anything he can push along so we are getting him a lot of the Toot Toot range of toys for his birthday.”