There are many fears and uncertainties for the parents of very premature babies.
And it is understandably heartbreaking for them to stand back and watch as their little one fights for life amongst tubes and ventilators.
It goes without saying that a premature baby's chance of surviving has improved dramatically over the years, but many extremely premature babies still face greater health and development challenges.
Which is why the parents of Ward Miles were, understandably, devastated when their little boy was born 3 and a half months too soon.
Their baby weighed just 1 and a half pounds when he was born and, for 107 days, was forced to remain in hospital, where he fought for his life.
Benjamin, Ward’s father, wanted to make sure that no matter what happened, he and his wife would remember their short time together with their son.
So he decided to document Ward’s life every day to try and inspire others through Ward overcoming his obstacles.
The result? One of the most powerful and moving videos we’ve ever seen.
Watch it for yourself below:
We had tears in our eyes as we watched little Ward smile happily as he snuggled up to his doting mummy.
And we had a huge smile on our faces as Ward, the ultimate little fighter, messed up his very first birthday cake; hasn’t he come a long way since his first day in the world?
The video has been viewed almost 18 million times since it was first posted in late November - and it recently came back to the world’s attention after being voted one of the best YouTube videos of all time.
Writing on his blog, Benjamin said: “I want to thank all the doctors, nurses, and staff all over the world that make it their life’s mission to help babies get better!
“It’s because of you that my son ever stood a chance to make it home!”
He also shared some recent photos of Ward, who has since grown into a very smiley and adventurous little boy; click to view them here.
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