DOCTORS said this Newport lad had just a slim chance of surviving vital heart surgery when he was 18 months old.

But Andrew Colclough’s family are over the moon after they celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday.

Mr Colclough, who has Down’s Syndrome, needed vital surgery in 1991 to put right a condition known as ventricular septal defect, causing a hole in his heart and damage in his lungs.

Doctors told them there was a 30 per cent chance of him surviving the surgery – but the family didn’t believe they would see his second birthday without it.

At just 18 months old Mr Colclough, from Rogerstone, went under the knife at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and was operated on by Janardan Dhasmana.

Mr Dhasmana was later banned from operating on children for three years following an inquiry into the BRI’s high mortality rate.

But mother Carol Colclough said: “If it wasn’t for him Andrew wouldn’t be here at all. He did save Andrew’s life.

I’mvery very grateful.”

She said she felt sorry for the parents who lost their children, however, and said she too had lost a child through cot death in 1987.

Mr Colclough continued to require treatment following the operation, and was in and out of hospital for the first five years of his life.

The family celebrated his birthday at the Rogerstone and Bassaleg Social Club on Friday night.

The 21-year-old, who is currently on a life skills course in Coleg Gwent’s Nash college, is a fan of Liverpool football club and says his favourite footballer is Stephen Gerrard.

His mother said Mr Colclough, who has three brothers and one sister and is an uncle to two nieces and four nephews, would like to marry one day and maybe even have children.

“He thinks like other people.

His brothers have got girlfriends and he would like to be the same,” she said.