Ms Brown was rushed to Mater Mother’s Hospital when her waters broke last June, just 23 weeks into her pregnancy.

She was warned her tiny premature baby boy had only a “slim chance of surviving” but never gave up hope.

Baby Oliver was born a week later weighing just 520g, about the same as a tub of butter.

Doctors warned Ms Brown, 20 and her partner Lachlan that their son faced a desperate fight for life.

But Oliver had a world-leading team of doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health clinicians on his side in Mater’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where he received around-the-clock care for four months.

And eight months on Oliver Bate-Brown is thriving and tipping the scales at 6kg.

The North Booval couple said it was “touch and go” for a long time but their brave little boy has slowly grown stronger.