A BRAVE little boy has celebrated the birthday his parents thought he would never see.

Liam Lyons enjoyed his fourth birthday yesterday with a family party at his home in Cockfield, Teesdale, County Durham, knowing he must return to hospital tomorrow.

Liam was born in 1999 with an interrupted aorta and has suffered from severe heart and bronchial problems throughout his short life.

He has already had four major operations, including a pioneering operation to insert equipment into his lungs to help him breathe.

At the end of last year, a month after starting nursery, Liam had another operation to remove the equipment, because he had grown too big for it. That operation, at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, was thought to be the first of its kind and although Liam contracted an infection after the surgery he was soon home again with his parents Joanne and Jason.

Tomorrow, he will return to the hospital for a check to see how he is coping without the breathing equipment.

Yesterday Mrs Lyons said: "There was a time when we didn't think Liam would see his fourth birthday.

"He is well at the moment despite having to go back to hospital on Friday.

"He loves his new nursery school and is doing great. We are very proud of him."