ME AND MY TINY DANCER

Katie Underhill, 26, was determined her son would be at her wedding, no matter what it took...

- MISHAAL KHAN, LUCY LAING

Pottering about our bedroom, I noticed my partner Dean across the room, fidgeting and nervous. We'd been out for a meal and, 26-weeks pregnant, we were back home getting ready for bed as I was exhausted.

Only Dean, then 22, was acting strangely and suddenly, he was down on one knee, presenting me with a gorgeous silver ring, with a solitaire diamond.

'Marry me?' he asked.

I beamed, my hands flying to my bump.

"Yes!" I said, thrilled. "We'll STRON have our own little ring bearer too! It was such a special moment, but our future was more uncertain than it looked.

WORRYING TIME

It was March 2019, and just a month earlier, we'd found out that our unborn son was seriously ill. A 'shadow' had been detected during a scan and further tests had revealed serious heart problems. The valves at the top of our little one's heart were developing the wrong way around, as well as both chambers at the bottom. His heart was back to front and there was a hole, too. Doctors had offered us a termination but Dean and I wanted to give our baby a fighting chance - we just couldn't accept that our little boy would die. And now, following the proposal, I had a new focus - our son would be at our wedding.

Soon after, more scans at Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital prepared us for what lay ahead. Our baby would need up to three ops, but there was no guarantee he'd survive.

Holding onto hope, we bought tiny clothes, a cot and a teddy for our boy.

Then, in June 2019, at 36 weeks, I was in hospital for a check-up when I went into spontaneous labour.

Before Dean even had time to get there, Acer was born, weighing 6lb 120z.

For a few precious seconds, I cuddled him close. 'I'm your Mummy,' I whispered.

Then, doctors whisked him away to check him over. Dean arrived 15 minutes later, with my mum, Emily.