TO LOOK at little Jack Jones you wouldn't think he went through life-saving surgery aged just three months.

According to his mum Emma, Jack ? who celebrated his first birthday on Thursday (June 25) with a family barbecue – is thriving and meeting all of his milestones.

Emma Rigby, 27, of Rollesby Gardens in Sutton Heath, said: "It all just seems like a bad dream now. When I tell people what happened, they take one look at him and say 'no!' They can't believe it at nursery.

"He is thriving – crawling and trying to talk, he has a huge appetite and he loves all the little boy toys like cars and diggers.

"He enjoyed being the birthday boy, he loves his swing in the garden."

Last August, when Jack was just eight weeks old, a health visitor raised concerns about his head shape during a routine visit. She advised his mum to seek medical advice.

Emma, who works as a part-time residential carer, said: "In every other way Jack was absolutely fine. No one else had picked up on his head shape, so the health visitor basically saved his life."

Days later, Jack, who was diagnosed with Vein of Galen Malformation, a condition that affects just one in three million infants, underwent major surgery at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow.

Without the operation, Emma and Kelvin, 47, Jack's father, were told, Jack would have died due to heart failure and brain damage.

Emma, who went to Rainhill High School, said: "It was a horrible, horrible time. But now it is a distant memory and it feels like it happened to someone else. Life is back to normal, I'm working again and Jack is at nursery.

"Jack still has check-ups at Alder Hey and he had an MRI scan there last month, which was fine."

Emma said: "Everyone is amazed by the way he bounced back and he's showing lots of positive signs that no long-lasting damage has been caused by the condition."

In August, Jack will see the specialist at Glasgow for an angiogram and he will be monitored for the rest of his life.