AT JUST three days old baby Ethan Doyle displayed an amazing will to live.

The odds were stacked heavily against the tiny infant who had been starved of oxygen at birth after suffering a knot in his umbilical cord.

He was resuscitated immediately and rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit at the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton for treatment at just two minutes old.

Now parents Lauren and Sean – who gave up his military career to care for his son – are thanking medics who saved him by organising a charity disco in Romsey on February 1.

The couple from North Baddesley were initially told Ethan had severe brain damage due to the trauma he suffered.

The 9lb 2oz tot underwent hypothermia treatment – with his body wrapped in a cooling suit to bring down his body temperature to prevent further cell damage – and was put on a ventilator to help him breathe.

“On day three, we were told we had to make a decision about whether we wanted to carry on, or whether we would like to withdraw treatment, as Ethan was extremely poorly and was likely to be severely disabled,”

said Lauren, 24. “We made a decision and spent what we thought was going to be our last night with Ethan.”

But their son had other ideas.

“Ethan pulled his ventilation tube out himself. He then kept breathing for himself from that moment and was becoming stronger and stronger,” said Lauren. After five weeks he was allowed home.

Unfortunately Ethan, now 19 months old, has been diagnosed with severe Distonic Cerebral Palsy, after contracting the infection Group B Streptococcus.

He has difficulty with movement, has a swallowing disorder and has to be fed via a tube.

When he is two or three years old Ethan will be given an MRI scan to find out the full extent of the damage to his brain.

Lauren, who works in customer services at Radian Housing said: “He is an absolute joy and is such a happy little boy. We can’t imagine life without him.

The disco, at the Crosfield Hall, will feature a performance by soul singer Olu Shola with a pennant signed by Saints footballers among raffle prizes.

Tickets, £10, are available at the Hunters Inn or the Bishops Blaize, or on 07950 279942.