LITTLE Luke Blackwood has defied all the odds.

He was born with a life-threatening condition that affected his diaphragm.

It caused his stomach to move up into his chest and squash his heart.

Now, four major operations later, he is on the road back to health.

Mail reporter EMMA GREENHALGH talked to his family.




LUKE Blackwood is a little fighter.

At 17 months old, he is back home and free from health problems for the last six months.

It's a remarkably different tale to the one the youngster went through in the first year of his life.

Luke was born with a malformed diaphragm. His stomach would move up into his chest and squash his heart.

The 4lb 3oz baby also had a curved spine. The first year of Luke's life was a constant battle involving four operations and repeated relapses leaving him in hospital for weeks on end.

But six months of problem-free health means Luke just needs regular check-ups to assess his progress.

Mum Sharon Powell, 29, said: "Since Christmas Luke is doing really well. He seems to be coming on.

"He has put weight on and was 18lbs when he was put on the scales last Thursday."

Luke's success story appeared in the Mail last December to celebrate his first Christmas at home.

Born at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, after Sharon was told while pregnant that he only had a 50-50 chance of survival, Luke battled back against all the odds.

At three days old he had an operation to put his stomach back in place.
At two and a half months old he went under the surgeon's knife again after suffering from reflux, where acid from the stomach comes up into the gullet.

Luke was allowed to go home, to the West View area of Hartlepool, but in September 2008 had another operation after his stomach drifted back up.

In November 2008 a specialist discovered food was going into his lungs and he risked catching pneumonia.

Shortly afterwards he underwent a 10-hour operation after doctors warned Sharon and Darren that he did not have long to live.

It was fourth time lucky for Luke and since then he has not suffered any further complications, although everyone keeps a very watchful eye on him.

Luke's grandad, Richard Powell, 65, who also lives in the West View area of Hartlepool, said: "He started to walk in the back garden a bit and is finding his feet.

"He should not have been here to start with but he proved them all wrong. He is a little survivor."

Sharon has received a lot of help from dad, Richard, a retired RAF metal worker, and mum, Maureen Powell, a housewife.

Everyone who is in regular contact with Luke have learned first aid and resuscitation skills in case anything goes wrong while he is with them.
Luke often suffers from phlegm build up on his lungs as an off-shoot of his condition after his oesophagus was also crushed.

Maureen, 60, said: "We have all had to cope. We have had to learn how to bring his secretions up. We have had to learn resuscitation on a baby, it's a lot different to a grown-up.

"We had to learn to do all that and watch for different things."

Sharon, who has been made redundant as a counter assistant, added: "It's hard for him to bring his phlegm up and he looks like he is going to choke. You pat him on his side and that helps to loosen the phlegm."

Luke has check-ups every four-to-six months where doctors feed him milk with non-harmful dye in it so they can check that he is swallowing properly and it is going down the correct tubes.

The extent to which his damaged spine will be affect his future is as yet unknown.

Sharon, who is engaged to Luke's dad, Darren Blackwood, 35, a carer, said: "Luke has got a curved spine in an S-shape but we don't know what's happening with that.

"We are hoping they might put metal rods in and straighten it out for when he gets older."

The family's main concern is looking out for tell-tale signs, such as refluxing or doubling over, that could show that his stomach has moved back up into his chest.

Sharon, who is one of four children, said: "That can happen at any time as he grows, where they repaired him, can detach itself so you have to watch out for that."

But the future looks bright for Luke and Sharon said she is hugely grateful for the support her and Darren's family have given her.

She said: "I could not ask for anything more than what the family have done and the support they have given me, Darren and Luke through all this is unbelievable, being there for us and picking us up when we are down."

Sharon also paid tribute to Luke's other granddad, Derric Blackwood, who died on May 28 after suffering lung problems. Derric had retired to Spain.

She said: "He was there for Luke all the way through. We would like to thank him for everything that he did."