A toddler who has spent the majority of his life in a hospital is getting ready to celebrate his first Christmas at home after finally being released.

Nineteen-month-old Bertie Melly encountered severe health complications as a result of being born prematurely at 24 weeks, weighing only 1 pound 10 ounces (0.7 kilograms).

In addition to requiring assistance with breathing, he was diagnosed with a serious illness that impacted his intestines. Bertie has undergone five surgeries, with the first taking place just ten days after his birth.

After more than 500 days in medical care, Bertie is now back home in Bromley, southeast London, with his parents, Phoebe and Callum Melly, who report that he is “making wonderful progress.”

Bertie entered the world following a 17-minute labor at London’s St. Thomas’ Hospital in May 2024.

Shortly after his birth, he was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis, a condition wherein the tissue in the intestines becomes inflamed and begins to die.

Following six months in neonatal intensive care, he was transferred to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

He continues to be fed via a tube and receives nutrients through an intravenous drip.

However, Mrs. Melly mentioned that Bertie has been showing “excellent progress” in his health and has been “thriving” since coming home in November.

She remarked, “His physical development is going really well; I think he’s close to walking now.”

“He’s climbing the stairs, getting on and off the sofa, and gaining more confidence in standing.”

Mr. Melly expressed, “We’ve only been home for four weeks, but it feels like a distant memory being in the hospital, which is really nice—everything feels so normal.”

Bertie’s parents are hopeful that they can transition him off his drip and onto solid foods within the year.

“If we can remove that line, it means we can live a more normal life until he’s consuming enough to get rid of the milk pump as well,” Mr. Melly shared.

He described his son as the “happiest child you’ll ever meet.”

He noted, “Considering all he has endured—if you look at his hands, they’re marked with scars from the many cannulas he’s had, and he has significant scars across his abdomen—he wakes up smiling and goes to bed smiling.”

“He’s truly a remarkable little person.”

In the past few weeks, the couple has taken Bertie to meet Father Christmas, although Mrs. Melly commented that he was “more captivated by the decorations.”

The couple expressed their “eternal gratitude” to the team at Evelina for the care Bertie received.

Iain Yardley, a consultant paediatric and neonatal surgeon at Evelina London involved in Bertie’s treatment, stated, “Bertie has faced numerous challenges in his brief life.”

“He and his family have confronted these difficulties with incredible grace and bravery.”

“Seeing him go home is the culmination of our efforts, and we couldn’t be happier for him and his family.”