'My premature baby was born the same size as his toy bunny - look at him now' (2025)

Benji Sandham weighed just 1lbs 14oz when he was born 13 weeks early on April 17, 2024

Little Benji Sandham was the same size as his toy bunny when he was born 13 weeks early.

But just look at him now. Benji, now 11 months old, weighed just 1lbs 14oz when he was born on April 17, 2024. At just two days old he had to have emergency surgery to repair a hole in his bowel and spent 10 weeks in hospital, gaining his strength.

But his parents, Laura Nelson, 35, and Adam Sandham, 30, had to rush him back to hospital at four months old when his legs turned purple and his blood pressure shot up. Investigative tests later diagnosed Benji with cerebral palsy and he is undergoing daily physiotherapy to help give him the best chance at mobility.

The tiny tot is still the same size as a three-month-old but is "relaxed" and "happy" and still loves his soft toy, affectionally named 'Bun Bun'.

Laura, a police officer, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, said: "We look back at the pictures and he could fit in my husband's hand. He made my hands look giant.

"He's still very small. He doesn't behave like a one-year-old would behave.

"Despite everything he's gone through he's the most relaxed, happy little boy. He's a remarkable little baby.

"The bunny sat in the incubator throughout whole 10 weeks. Now every time he sees it he tries to grab it.

"It's his bunny friend. It feels surreal seeing him next to it - he's a different baby all together. We're really proud of him."

Laura and Adam, also a police officer, were delighted when they fell pregnant with Benji in November 2023. But Laura was immediately worried after giving birth to her daughter from a previous relationship, Holly, eight, at 28 weeks.

Her fears came true when her waters broke at 26 weeks and she was rushed to Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton. Laura gave birth to Benji on April 17, 2024, at 3.53pm via an emergency c-section - 13 weeks before his due date of July 18, 2024.

She said: "I was allowed to hold him for a moment. He was absolutely tiny and his skin was very fragile."

Benji was taken to the neonatal unit and seemed to be doing well at first. But doctors then discovered he had a hole in his bowel when his tummy swelled.

Laura said: "He was very grey in colour - it was terrifying. He had emergency surgery there and then to repair the hole."

At two weeks old Benji was transferred to the couple's local hospital - Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth - and came home at 10 weeks old weighing just 3lbs. But at four months old his parents started to notice something was wrong.

Laura said: "His legs looked mottled and he had a temperature."

Laura originally took Benji to an out-of-hours surgery and told it was it was just a virus but her intuition told her otherwise and she took him to hospital.

She said: "His legs were purple. I wasn't happy with that. The hospital said he was showing signs of sepsis.

"His blood pressure was high. We thought we were going to lose him. He stopped breathing several times."

Doctors had to slowly bring down his blood pressure and then started investigating what had caused the problem. They discovered he was missing a vein in his spleen and his liver wasn't perfusing in the way it should.

Laura also noticed Benji's legs were quite stiff from around four months. This led to the tot's cerebral palsy diagnosis in February 2025.

But despite daily physiotherapy the little boy is always 'happy'.

Laura said: "He's incredible. He should be so grumpy."

Benji is "besotted" with his oldest sisters - Katie, 10, and Holly Nelson, eight - who are also fundraising with an Easter sale and homemade bracelets for his ongoing physiotherapy treatment.

Laura said: "We want to give him the best chance possible. He's such a ray of sunshine.

"We don't know what the future holds. If we put in everything that is available then we have the best chance possible with mobility in the future."

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