Nicky and Steve Nicoll, both 32, married a year ago and they were delighted when they found out Nicky was expecting their first child, but when the mum-to-be started bleeding when 26 weeks pregnant the couple rushed to Ninewells Hospital.

“We didn’t know what was happening when I went into hospital. As the hours went on they explained I was having the baby and they couldn’t stop it,” Nicky recalled.

“It didn’t feel real – the whole day has become a blur.”

At 10.41pm Lewis was born and the paediatrician revealed there was a 75% chance the newborn baby would survive.

This was helped by his birth weight, which was 2.2lb Medical staff feared he would only be about 1.5lb, which would have lowered his chance of survival.

Nicky continued, “When he was born we just had to keep positive that he would survive. We just sat thinking about what was going to happen. Because he was so weak he didn’t cry for a long time after he was born.”

It was about three hours after giving birth before the new parents were able to see their baby, who was born on Steve’s birthday.

As soon as Lewis was born he was taken to the neonatal unit, where he was put onto a ventilator to help with his breathing.

At two days old he was taken off the ventilator for six days and his parents were finally able to hold their baby. To give his fragile body a rest, he was then put back on the ventilator for two days. He spent the first eight weeks in an incubator in the intensive care unit before being moved to a cot in a special care unit for four weeks.

Weighing a healthier 6.8 lb and breathing confidently on his own, he was finally allowed home and the changes his parents have watched their first-born child going through have been remarkable.

Nicky said, “I was able to hold him from about two days old, which was lovely. But in the early stages there were some days when his body was just too tired to be lifted.

“He is out of the danger zone now and he has continued to put on weight. His whole body, in particular his face, has filled out —when he was born his face was all wrinkled skin. We call him our wee fighter.”

Although Nicky was allowed home a day after giving birth, it was 12 and a half weeks before Lewis was able to join them.

During that time the proud parents visited the hospital every day and are full of praise for the staff who cared for their son.

“The staff were amazing and they do a fantastic job — they became like family because we got to know all of them so well. They were upset when we took him home!

“When we got him home it was a great feeling — it did feel weird, but it’s good to look at him now and hear him cry — it shows he is fine now!”

He has problems with his lungs and heart, which are common for a premature baby, but his parents are confident he will get better as he continues to gain strength.