'One night one of the doctors said would we prefer it if we could just cuddle him and then let nature take its course, but we didn't want to give up.'

Although William will remain connected to an oxygen tank for the next few months to help him fight chronic lung disease his parents believe he will grow up as a normal little boy.

The cyst in his lung, known as Congenital C

When told their unborn son would not survive pregnancy, there seemed only one decision for Rachel Whittaker and Matt Capehorn.

A routine ultrasound had uncovered a cyst growing inside his right lung and with the odds stacked against him they were offered an abortion.

But the couple refused to give up hope and yesterday they brought William home for the first time since he was born three months prematurely in June, weighing only 2Ib 12oz.

'He's our little miracle,' said Mr Capehorn, a 36-year-old GP.

Doctors discovered the cyst at the start of the year. Four days later it had increased four-fold and was pushing on William's heart and oesophagus.

But they refused to terminate the pregnancy at 20 weeks and instead surfed the Internet for a solution before contacting one of the world's foremost experts in prenatal surgery.

Professor Kypros Nicolaides agreed to conduct the operation at the Harris Birthright Centre in London, despite the bleak prognosis given by doctors at Sheffield's Jessop Hospital.

The couple were told that the procedure, inserting a needle through Miss Whittaker's stomach into the baby to drain the cyst, could cause a miscarriage or premature labour.

The operation was a success but Miss Whittaker went into labour.

'When he was born we had big grins on our faces but it didn't sink in for a few days how poorly he really was,' said Mr Capehorn, from Rotherham.

'One night one of the doctors said would we prefer it if we could just cuddle him and then let nature take its course, but we didn't want to give up.'

Although William will remain connected to an oxygen tank for the next few months to help him fight chronic lung disease his parents believe he will grow up as a normal little boy.

The cyst in his lung, known as Congenital Cy

The cyst in his lung, known as Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation, affects one in 35,000 babies.

This is a heart-warming story but, for me, reading this story brought mixed emotions to the surface. Obviously, William needed immediate intervention but what if they had opted for termination? How many other people have terminated on Doctor's advice?

Nine years ago, at my 20 week scan, my unborn daughter was also diagnosed with C.A.M. We were told to expect, at best surgery, at worst - the worst. Luckily, although the cyst continued to grow it was at a much slower rate than William's, so we had time to think. I opted to visit a spiritual healer on a weekly basis and also embarked on writing a journal to my unborn child, willing her to pull through. I was already a firm believer in the process of manifesting (lately termed cosmic ordering) and had strong spiritual faith that all would be well.

I was scanned weekly, as the cyst didn't disappear. Around 24 weeks the immediate threat of in-utero death passed but we had to visit the surgeon who would carry out the removal procedure straight after the birth. Then, as my healer and I had always believed it would, the cyst simply vanished - confounding all the Consultants and Doctor's.

Ella Grace Cassidy was born late weighing 8lbs 8ozs on 19 Oct 1997. X rays at birth showed no sign of the CAM. Ella has no residual problems and didn't need follow up care.

For anyone else facing this agony, please let this be an inspiration to not give up. Doctors may choose to explain away my miracle through the use