When David Aitchison was three months old doctors told his parents to take him home from hospital and have him Christened.

With facial malformations, brain damage, heart problems and trouble feeding, baby David had never been out of Yorkhill Hospital and doctors feared he wouldn’t survive.

But the specialists didn’t take into account the little boy’s determination – or parents Peter and Gillian’s complete devotion.

David, who has the extremely rare Goldenhar syndrome, has now celebrated his 18th birthday.

And he’s been offered a place at college – despite being profoundly deaf and unable to speak.

Peter, 46, and Gillian, 45, put David’s success down to the work of medical staff at Yorkhill, where the teenager is still a patient.

Peter says: “David has had exceptional care from the staff at Yorkhill. We can’t thank them enough.

“Without them David would not be alive. We had no idea David would be anything but healthy when he was born but the medical staff at the hospital helped us adjust and supported us.

“We can’t speak more highly of them.”

Gillian had had a normal, healthy pregnancy but went into labour five weeks premature.

David was taken straight to intensive care and the family, from Lochwinnoch, in Renfrewshire, were told he was having trouble breathing and had a cleft lip and palate.

In fact, the baby had no right side to his face, no nose, and needed a tracheotomy tube put in to help him breathe.

His heart is on the wrong side of his body and has a hole in it.

He had water on the brain and had to have a cranial shunt put under the skin on his head.

David was diagnosed with Goldenhar syndrome, a condition so rare only 75 children in the UK are thought to have it.

He spent the first seven months of his life in Yorkhill before finally being allowed home.

At three months, David suffered two heart attacks and doctors told Peter and Gillian if he had a third they would not resuscitate him.

It was then the family decided to take their little boy home to be Christened.

But, against all odds, David battled back and has endured more than a dozen operations to get him where he is today.

Gillian says: “We never treated David as though he were anything but normal. When he came home we had to feed him through a tube in his stomach and the tube in his throat had to be suctioned every ten to fifteen minutes, which meant we didn’t sleep much. “He had so much kit with him, too. Going anywhere required carrying suction tubes and catheters but, really, we just got on with things.”

David has spent much of his 18 years in and out of Yorkhill Hospital.

Among many surgeries he has had operations to recreate parts of his face.

And four years ago he had to have open heart surgery.

But his mum and dad were determined he would live as normal a life as possible and enrolled him in Tollcross’s St Vincent’s School for the Deaf.

With help from teachers, David, who is also on the autistic spectrum, thrived there – and developed a talent for video games.

Although he can’t speak, David uses sign language at school – and to argue with his younger brother and sister.

In September he’s starting a two-year course in computing and web design at James Watt College, in Greenock.

And his family hope it will lead on to further study.

By way of thanks to the staff at Yorkhill, Peter’s employers, PR firm McGarvie Morrison Media, have now pledged to work for the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation (YCF) for free. Cash generated by the charity is used to purchase specialist equipment for the hospital and to pay for extra treats for young patients.

YCF chief executive Shona Cardle says: “It’s vital that people keep fundraising: If the public don’t know you exist they can’t support you.

“We hope with the help of MMM we will be able to reach more people and let them know what it is we do.”

Now David, who is big brother to Jenny, 17, and 12-year-old Jack, says he’s looking forward to starting college.

He says: “I’m going to miss school and my friends and teachers but I’m really excited.”

Peter adds: “We’re so proud of David and everything he has achieved.

“He’s our phenomenal boy.”

TIMES FILE

Goldenhar syndrome is a rare condition that affects an estimated one baby in 500,000.

There are thought to be only around 75 people in the UK with the condition.

The syndrome covers a wide range of problems including malformation of one side of the face, deafness and sight problems.

Children will also have problems with their vertebrae, heart or kidneys.

Most sufferers have no learning problems but 12% cdo have difficulties.

No one is sure what causes the syndrome and it is not hereditary.