Twelve-week-old Braydon Boyland survived open heart surgery to repair the damage but faces another two major life-saving operations before his fifth birthday.

Despite suffering a major setback recently his parents Ross Boyland and Paige McFarlane, of Mackie Avenue, spoke to the Tele about their hopes for their son.

The couple were distraught when they finally got him home last week only to have to rush him back to hospital when he began fighting for breath.

But they have been so overwhelmed by their son’s fight, and the care and compassion of the incredible medical team at Yorkhill, that they felt compelled to act.

Now the Port Glasgow couple want to give something back to the new Royal Hospital for Children to help other families.

Paige, 21, of Mackie Avenue, said: “Braydon has just been so brave through it all.

“We are just focusing now on getting him home.

“I had never heard of the heart defects before and now I know everything.

“I don’t quite know how we have coped but you just have to get on with it and take every day as it comes.

“I think your instincts just kick in.

“Braydon needs us.” The couple were left horrified when medics broke the news at a 20-week scan that their unborn baby had three major heart defects.

Paige said: “The rest of the pregnancy was just horrible. We were told what would happen when he was born, but nothing prepares you for it.” In a further twist Paige developed the dangerous condition pre-eclampsia, which induced early labour and can be life-threatening.

She was rushed into hospital and little Braydon was born six weeks early on 4 July weighing only four pounds and facing a fight to survive because of the heart defects.

He was born suffering from pulmonary artresia, ventricular septal defect — commonly known as a hole in the heart — and transposition of the great arteries.

Paige added: “They told us that to have all three is rare.

“He should have had surgery within days but because he was so early we had to wait until he was strong enough.” At eight weeks old Braydon was able to get the life-saving surgery he needed and surgeons fitted a temporary shunt to give his organs a chance.

Since his birth his parents have been by his side all day, going home to sleep and then returning in the morning.

They were overjoyed to be told that Braydon was finally strong enough to leave hospital and last Wednesday they finally brought him home.

But only days later during a shopping trip into Greenock his lungs stopped working and as he struggled to breathe he had to be rushed straight to hospital.

Paige said: “All our resuscitation training just kicked in and we managed to get him to hospital.” Now they are hoping he will soon be strong enough to come home again.

Braydon will need round-the-clock care with his vital signs monitored every day of his life and he will have to go to hospital every two weeks for check-ups in the run-up to surgery at six months old.

Paige added: “We will have to check his weight and his oxygen levels every morning. He cannot get stressed and cry for any length of time because his heart and lungs are not strong enough to cope. You can see when he starts crying he starts to struggle.

“We have to do the opposite when all other parents are told not to panic if they cry. We have to act.” But against all the odds Braydon is somehow pulling through.

His proud dad Ross, who works at the RBS Mortgage Centre, said: “He has a right wee personality and is just incredible. I can’t believe what he has been through.” Looking to the future the couple have been told by doctors that Braydon will never run about like other children but they are absolutely determined to do everything they can to give him the best quality of life possible.

But Paige added: “We just hope that all the operations work and we can give him the best chance.” The couple also want to raise awareness of the work of the children’s hospital.

Ross, 23, added: “The nurses and the doctors are just absolutely amazing. You have no idea what they do every single day until you are in that situation. Every day these people save babies’ lives.

“You can never repay them for that.

“We wanted to do something to show how grateful we are.

“We want to thank them for everything and we also want to help others in this situation.” The couple now plan to do a skydive for Braydon.

Ross joked: “That is definitely Paige’s idea! She is talking me into it. I am terrified at the thought!” On top of that, local businessman Gary Lewis of Jax Snax in Pottery Street has stepped in to show his support.

He is selling a special Braydon Burger and donating half the money to the fundraising campaign.

Gary said: “Ross and Paige come here every day before they go to the hospital. They are just a lovely, lovely couple and they have been through so much. We wanted to do something to help.” Ross said: “We can’t thank Gary enough for doing this. We just can’t believe how kind people can be.” To support the couple’s charity efforts for the Royal Hospital for Children visit their www.justgiving.com/RossandPaigesskydive