Amelia Halfyard, 4, gets ready for her first day at school in Woodford Green after doctors doubted she would make it through the first few weeks

Amelia Halfyard was born at 24 weeks weighing just 800g in November 2012.

Her mother Suzanne was rushed to Whipps Cross Hospital for an emergency caesarean after her blood pressure rocketed and she was diagnosed with early onset severe pre-eclampsia.

Doctors told her and her husband Mark Amelia had a hole in her heart, which would require major surgery.

For the next year and a half the Halfyards, who now live in Woodford Green, had to watch their daughter go in and out of hospital as she battled serious health problems.

Amelia in her incubator

But now aged four, Amelia is raring to put on her school uniform for the first time when term starts at St Anthony’s RC Primary in a few weeks.

Mrs Halfyard said: “We’re absolutely delighted she’s reached this important stage in her life.

“Before the future was very uncertain, so it’s going to be an emotional day, but she’s really excited.”

A few days after Amelia was born she was transferred to the Royal London Hospital where doctors found her lungs kept collapsing and the hole in the heart all babies are born with had not closed.

Her parents had to wait anxiously for eight weeks until there was room at St Thomas’ for Amelia to have the life-saving operation.

Mrs Halfyard added: “We were told she was critical.

“They found out we were Catholic and told us to get her christened, because things looked pretty bleak at that point.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen and I was still quite ill – it was a very upsetting time.”

Mum Suzanne and Amelia at six-weeks-old

Two months later the Halfyards moved from Walthamstow to stay with Amelia’s grandparents in Loughton and travelled to Harlow every day to visit her at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Eventually she was allowed home but was still on oxygen and very vulnerable to getting ill again.

A week after her first birthday she suffered serious breathing problems, which saw her admitted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital 50 miles away in Cambridge.

Instead of driving to see her for a short visit every day, a charity called The Sick Children’s Trust gave the Halfyards a room on site, which they claim changed everything.

Mrs Halfyard said: “It was absolutely fantastic being able to stay with her, it made all the difference.

“Children are clingier when they are ill and having us close by definitely sped up her recovery.”

Amelia came out of hospital for the last time in June 2014 and was able to settle into the new family home in Woodford Green and start going to pre-school.

Since then she has learnt to ride a bike and enjoys swimming and gymnastics when she is not “climbing on things and dancing around everywhere”.

Mrs Halfyard said: “Amelia has grown up into a lovely, lively little girl.

“She’s still quite small for her age, but she definitely makes up for that in personality.”

The Sick Children’s Trust manager at Addenbrooke’s Abigail Abdel-aal added: “It’s so lovely to hear Amelia’s doing well now, we’re sure she’ll thrive at her new school and we wish her the best of luck on her first day.”