A BABY boy who doctors said would not survive after being born two months early has defied the odds.

James Clarke was born when mum Emma was 32 weeks pregnant and medics told the mum-of-four to ‘prepare for the worst’.

Terrified they would lose their first son, Emma, 35, and husband Andrew took turns to keep a bedside vigil for 33 days, whilst still caring for their eldest three children, Lacey-Jayne, nine, Lucy, four and three-year-old Libby.

But the family were relieved and delighted when just over a month after he was born, plucky James pulled through and was allowed home to spend his first Christmas with his family.

Emma, of Cubrieshaw Place in West Kilbride, said: “He was my fourth baby and I have a history of going into labour early, but James was the most premature.

“I went for a scan and his heart rate kept dropping so they gave me an emergency c-section and James was born. He wasn’t doing very well so they kept him in the neo-natal unit for 33 days and he finally got home on Christmas Eve 2018.

“The first couple of days he did really well but then he developed sepsis so it was touch and go. We were told at one point that it might not be a good outcome and we should prepare for the worst.

“Thankfully that didn’t happen. The staff at Ayrshire Maternity Unit were just amazing. We have them to thank for James.”

Now, 14-month-old James is thriving. Emma said: “He is fine now. He is a bit slower than other kids his age in his physical development, but that will hopefully come. We are just grateful he is here.”