Boy who was the size of a £10 note when he was born finally takes his first steps aged three

Looking at this photograph, it's hard to believe that best friends Levi Phipps and Liam O'Sullivan are the same age.

Both are three but Levi, from Birmingham, is the size of a one-year-old - and was no bigger than a ten pound note when he was born in October 2011.

Despite being dwarfed by best friend Liam, the little boy has amazed his mother Katrina Byers by finally taking his first steps.

She had thought he might never learn to walk after doctors told her the health problems he was born with could result in permanent disabilities.

Ms Byers, 32, said : ‘It brought tears to my eyes when Levi started walking for the first time. He has been so tiny ever since he was born and he is so behind in his development.

‘It was such an amazing moment when he managed to take some steps for the very first time.’

The little boy had stopped growing in the womb and doctors had to carry out an emergency caesarian to deliver him.

His parents were so amazed at how tiny he was when he was first born weighing just under 2Ibs, that they placed a ten pound note in his incubator to show how small he was.

Doctors had warned that he might not live for more than a few days but tiny Levi has proved them all wrong.

He has battled through operations to repair three holes in his heart and a twisted bowel and has fought through infections.

‘I'm so proud of Levi - nothing fazes him,' said his mother. He may be tiny but he’s so strong and he’s always got a smile for everyone.

‘He has been in and out of hospital since he was born, but he never lets it get him down.’

Ms Byers had initially been thrilled to discover she was pregnant after spending three years trying for a baby with her former partner Euan Phipps, 32, and had suffered six miscarriages.

She has two daughters Chelsea Ann, 14, and Kyra, 11, from a previous relationship, but wanted another baby to make her family complete.

‘I had no idea why I kept losing one baby after another,' she said. 'So when I finally fell pregnant with Levi, I was terrified that I was going to lose him too. I just had to pray that this baby would be different, and hang on.’

But at her 16 weeks scan, doctors were concerned to discover that Levi was only the size of a nine week old foetus. They offered Ms Byers the chance to terminate the pregnancy.

She said: ‘They had no idea why he was so small. There was still a risk of me miscarrying or that he might be born with a genetic disorder.

‘But there was no way I was going to terminate his life. He’d hung on this long, I wanted to meet my son. I couldn’t bear to lose another baby.’

At 26 weeks, scans showed Levi now weighed four ounces. Then in October 2011, when she was 32 weeks pregnant, doctors decided to carry out an emergency caesarian as there was a risk of him being stillborn.

‘He was so tiny I couldn't believe that anything so tiny would possibly survive,' says Ms Byers. 'Euan put a ten pound note on top of his chest so we could marvel at how tiny he was.

‘I was aching to hold him, but he was still so tiny. We just had to be content with looking at his lying in his incubator. At least he was still alive.’

Tests showed he was clear from genetic disorders, but he couldn't swallow so he was tube fed three times a day. After ten days Ms Byers was finally allowed a first cuddle with her tiny son.

‘I was so overcome with emotion,' she remembers. 'It was the most amazing feeling to finally hold him in my arms. He was so tiny and fragile I was almost too worried to hold him.’

She finally brought Levi home in December 2011, but he has since had to go back into hospital for several operations.

He had an operation to close three holes in his heart when he was three months old, then in January 2013 he had an operation to fix his reflux.

Ms Byers says: 'Nothing seemed to faze him. When we celebrated his first and second birthdays it was such a milestone. We even hung a banner up which said Big Miracle, Little Boy.

‘Even though he is so tiny he has always been such a fighter. ‘

Two weeks after his second birthday he developed a heart infection and was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. 

Levi was given antibiotics and spent the next five weeks in hospital battling for his life. Then in January last year he was rushed into hospital again with a twisted bowel.

'He had another three operations to correct the reflux and the bowel too,' says Ms Byers. 'It was such a lot for his tiny body to cope with, yet he kept smiling all the way through it.’

Today, Levi still only weighs 20Ibs - the size of a 12-month-old baby. His friends have left him far behind - although he has a big personality to make up for it.

His mother adds: ‘He’s always smiling and all his friends love him, even though he can’t keep up with them.

‘Every time I spend a ten pound note, I'm reminded how small he was when he was born and how far he has come.’ 

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