'So grateful' Teen swimming champ returns to hospital to thank medics

TEENAGER Ashby Edmonds - who defied the odds to become a national swimming champion after surviving a life-threatening birth complication - has returned to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children to thank staff and show off his medals.

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Ashby Edmonds - who defied all odds to become a national swimming champion after surviving a life-threatening birth complication - at Bristol Children's Hospital

At just six-and-a-half days old Ashby had lifesaving surgery at the hospital.

Although there were no complications during his mother’s pregnancy, during his delivery things quickly turned critical.

His mother, Sarah Edmonds, a teacher, said she knew something was wrong the moment Ashby was placed on her chest.

She said: “He was very still. I put my finger under his nose and couldn't feel him breathing”

Doctors discovered Ashby, now 15, had a congenital diaphragmatic herniaa hole in his diaphragm that allowed his stomach and kidney to move into his chest and compress his heart and lungs. The condition had gone undetected during pregnancy scans.

Sarah, 50, added: “It was incredibly traumatic. Some of the babies on NICU at the same time as Ashby didn’t make it. We had to put our trust in the NHS at that moment.”

At six-and-a half days old Ashby was deemed strong enough for surgery to repair the hole in his diaphragm and place his internal organs back in their correct positions.