LITTLE Dylan Morrison can fit his mother’s engagement ring comfortably on his finger – but when he was born he was so tiny it could have slid over his wrist like a bracelet.

Even at two months old, the ring was bigger than the palm of his hand.

Now aged five, and after an incredible fight for life, Dylan has started school and is like any other little boy who loves lorry spotting and playing football.

And as the youngster proudly holds the ring between his fingers, he can see for himself just how far he has come.

Dylan weighed 1lb 14oz when he had to be delivered more than three months early after his mother, Jenna Gordon, developed pre-eclampsia.

It left her with dangerously high blood pressure and, unbeknown to her, was putting her and her unborn baby’s life at risk.

However, as a first-time mother, the 33-year-old, from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, said: “I just thought I had a cold. 

“I was so unwell, I could hardly lift my head off the pillow, but I didn’t think anything of it.

“I went to the doctor and he sent me straight to the hospital that day.”

The sales assistant was immediately given steroid injections to boost her unborn baby’s lung function and, hours later, Dylan was born at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital on August 15, 2015.

He gave a “tiny squeak” when he was delivered, giving his mother and father Derek Morrison, 32, hope that he was strong enough to survive.

Miss Gordon said: “Then they took him away and I didn’t see him for another two days because I was so ill.

“Everyone was sending me cards in case anything happened but it never crossed my mind. 

“I’m quite a positive person and I just knew then [when he cried] that he was going to be fine, that he was going to get home.

“I ignored all the beeping of the machines and hoped for the best. 

“But I think my thoughts would have been completely different if he hadn’t made a noise.”

Dylan spent nine weeks in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. He needed two blood transfusions and was hooked up to a ventilator. 

Despite being so premature, he was taken off the breathing machine within a day. He still needed oxygen for several weeks and was so premature he did not open his eyes until he was 10 days old. 

His parents had to wait seven days before they were able to hold their baby because he was so fragile. 

Instead, they could only hold his hand through the window of the glass incubator he was in.

And it was two weeks before they got to see their son’s face for the first time without an oxygen mask.

Miss Gordon said: “When he was a bit stronger, they took his mask off when they were cleaning him and we got to see his face and he just looked like a little old person. But it was amazing. 

“He was so tiny. My engagement ring could have fitted on his wrist. 

“And the smallest nappies you could get had to be folded in half. 

“It was crazy. Now I can’t believe my baby is away to school.”

Early scans also detected Dylan had a heart murmur but, to his parents’ relief, as he grew, the defect corrected itself.

Mr Morrison said: “To look at Dylan now you would never know he was born so early. He is our little fighter.”

Recalling the ordeal, he added: “When we found out Dylan was being delivered by emergency C-section everything happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to think what could or would happen. 

“I just tried to stay positive and keep Jenna calm for herself and our baby.

“But seeing Dylan for the first in his incubator without Jenna was scary because we didn’t know what to expect. 

“But the nurses did a fabulous job and I was allowed to take photos back to Jenna.”

Dylan is now big brother to 15-month-old James, who was also delivered by emergency caesarean section when his mother again developed pre-eclampsia. 

This time, however, she was monitored closely and was aware of the symptoms when she began to feel swelling, blurred vision and headaches.

With September being Neonatal Intensive Care Awareness Month, she hopes that, by sharing Dylan’s story, it can give hope to other families with babies in their care.

 “Dylan had a long journey in neonatal but the staff got us through it and we will always be so grateful for them,” she said.

“After he was born, I didn’t get to see him for two days because I was so ill but they took photos for me to look at. They kept us all going. Now he’s the happiest little boy ever.”