When Mark arrived at just 23 weeks and one day, weighing only 560 grams, his parents knew their tiny boy had an enormous fight ahead of him.

He was born without taking a breath and had to be resuscitated and intubated before being rushed to the NICU. For the first week, things seemed hopeful — but then his condition began to deteriorate.

Mark’s lungs were severely underdeveloped and damaged. He spent weeks relying heavily on a ventilator and high levels of oxygen, with doctors warning his family to prepare for the worst.

Over the following months, he endured multiple courses of steroids, countless blood transfusions and PICC lines. He also developed RSV, which caused another major setback, while his fragile eyes required two laser procedures for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

At one point, doctors told his parents that Mark’s lungs were not developing as he grew and discussed providing end-of-life care.

But his family refused to stop believing in him.

“We told them to do everything in their power to save our boy,” his parents recalled. “Mark had already fought so hard, and we just couldn’t give up on him.”

And once again, Mark surprised everyone.

At five months old, he was transferred from St Peter’s Hospital to St George’s Hospital in London, where the long-term ventilation team helped him make remarkable progress.

After nine long months in hospital, his family finally has something they have dreamed of for so long: a discharge date next month.

For his parents, seeing their little boy prepare to leave the hospital feels almost impossible to put into words.

“After everything Mark has been through, watching him get closer to home is an incredible feeling,” they said. “He has taught us that even the smallest person can have the biggest strength.”

Their message to other families facing difficult medical journeys is simple:

“Never give up. Miracles really do happen.”