A SERIOUSLY ill Cwmbran tot has survived a second life-threatening infection in a year.

Two-year-old Amber Hartland suffers from a rare genetic disorder, infantile Tay Sachs, a condition that prevents fatty molecules from breaking down in her body.

It affects the nervous system and can lead to blindness, deafness and death.

In May last year Amber was just hours from death after contracting a serious chest infection, but confounded doctors by making a full recovery.

Just before Christmas Amber was rushed to hospital again as she developed another chest infection.

Mum Lesley, of St Dials, Cwmbran, said: "We took her to the Royal Gwent Hospital because her breathing had got pretty erratic. We knew that a chest infection could kill her, so we were very worried. Tay Sachs children usually die of a chest infection."

Amber was in hospital for four days but was strong enough to fight off the infection with help from a course of antibiotics.

"It really worried us because every time she gets something we wonder, is this the beginning of the end? said Lesley.

"We remembered back to May and we feared the worst. But this time she handled it a lot better and got well relatively quickly."

Amber's plight has touched the hearts of Argus readers since we revealed her story two years ago.

Massive fundraising efforts across Gwent allowed Amber's parents to buy experimental drug Zavesco to treat Amber's condition.

Doctors say the drug is having such a profound effect on Amber her dosage could soon be doubled.

Meanwhile, Nick and Lesley are planning to take Amber on a special trip to EuroDisney for her third birthday in February.

Lesley explained: "This birthday will be a milestone because we were told Amber would not live to the age of three. We are planning to take her to Disneyland in Paris to celebrate.

"She is very healthy at the moment and has put on a lot of weight, and we are really pleased with her development."