HE is the miracle little boy who has defied the odds to survive.

Ollie Scates may only be four but has already battled heart surgery at four months, leaking heart valves, pneumonia, septicaemia as well as numerous chest infections.

But today Ollie is smiling because he has enjoyed his first trip abroad - a holiday of a lifetime to Disneyland Paris – thanks to the support of the community.

Mum Jo, a former mental health nurse who is now her son's full time carer, said: “He absolutely adored it. He was out of this world. He just couldn’t believe it.”

Ollie has Down’s Syndrome and was also affected at seven months by West Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy which caused him to regress.

His complex health conditions mean he needs to have access to oxygen every night in case his levels suddenly drop.

However when Jo organised the three-day holiday so Ollie could meet his favourite characters, she did not realise she would need to pay for the vital supplies, which are delivered free in the UK.

“I’ve never taken him away before because I’ve always needed access to hospitals and I’ve always been nervous.

“We had it all booked up but I was set to cancel the trip because there was no way I could afford the oxygen on top of the trip.

“I looked at Oliver’s little face and I couldn’t let him down so my friend suggested I turned to crowdfunding for support.”

Within days, the community rallied together to raise £600 to make Ollie’s dream a reality.

Jo, said: “It was overwhelming. So many people were so kind. I didn’t really know what to say to people. I couldn’t believe it. If we didn’t have the oxygen, we couldn’t have gone.

“I cannot thank everyone enough for giving us some special memories that will last a lifetime.”

Jo helps to run the Dorset charity Downright Perfect, which supports families whose lives have been touched by Down’s Syndrome. The group holds monthly support sessions for children with the condition and drop-in sessions offering speech and language therapy and physiotherapy for under 5s as well as regular family meet ups and events.

“It’s called Downright Perfect, because that’s what our children are! It bugs me when people say someone who has Down’s Syndrome suffers from the condition. Oliver doesn’t suffer. He’s just Oliver and just has an extra chromosome. It’s important people look at Oliver and see Oliver, not his condition.

“Ollie is my little miracle! It’s been a whirlwind journey with a lot of time in hospital and he needs a lot of intensive therapy for many years to come but as time goes on, things do get easier.

“I remember being at Disneyland and thinking, this is what normal families do. We’ve come out of the darkness of the first few years and life is finally starting to settle down.

“I can’t thank everybody enough. Hopefully it gives out the message to people that life does go on.

“To me, he’s perfect. He’s absolutely charming and he means everything to me.

"He is my world.”