Born at just 25 weeks at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast last October, doctors feared Iarla Ace wouldn’t survive. However, he has overcome numerous life-threatening health challenges, including a brain haemorrhage shortly after birth, and has undergone five surgeries during his recovery.

After spending 127 days in hospital, Iarla was finally discharged in February to his family home in Castlecaulfield, near Dungannon, Co. Tyrone. Now 14 months old, he is thriving and looking forward to celebrating Christmas with his mother Lindsay, father Matthew, and four-year-old sister Aine.

Just weeks ago, Iarla reached a major milestone when his nasal feeding tube was removed, allowing him to eat normally for the first time. His mother, Lindsay, a nurse at Craigavon Area Hospital, described his birth on October 22 as traumatic.

“He wasn’t responding, and he had to be put on a ventilator,” she recalled. “At the start, he had so many challenges with his breathing, blood pressure, and other complications. It felt like one hurdle after another. We didn’t think he’d survive those first critical days. But he’s such a strong little boy, and every treatment the doctors tried seemed to work for him.”

Last Christmas was a heartbreaking experience for the family, as Lindsay and Matthew balanced visiting Iarla in the neonatal unit with creating holiday memories for Aine at home. Their ordeal intensified when Iarla developed a bowel obstruction on New Year’s Day, requiring emergency surgery.

Reflecting on that time, Lindsay said, “It was horrendous. If I could have cancelled Christmas, I would have. But I had to keep things going for Aine. This year will be so different—just having us all together at home without any hospital visits will be amazing.”

Matthew, a team leader at a pharmaceutical company, described the moment Iarla came home as “incredible.” “Those last few weeks in hospital felt like an eternity,” he said. “Bringing him home was an emotional mix of joy and nervousness. But it was an unforgettable day.”

The removal of Iarla’s feeding tube was another landmark moment for the family. “I couldn’t stop crying—I was just so proud of him,” Lindsay shared. “Now, he’s thriving, meeting all his developmental milestones, and truly enjoying his meals. He’s such a happy, content little boy.”

Iarla’s parents expressed deep gratitude to the medical teams at the Royal Maternity and Craigavon hospitals and to the family and friends who supported them over the past 14 months. They also praised the support of TinyLife, a charity for families of premature babies, and Shine, which assists those with hydrocephalus—a condition Iarla has that causes fluid buildup in the brain.

This Christmas marks a new chapter for the resilient little boy and his family, who are cherishing every moment of being together at home.