A boy who survived major surgery when he was just one day old celebrated his 11th birthday on the 11th day of the 11th month on Friday.

Ben Fry from Epsom, a year six pupil at Stamford Green Primary, was born six weeks premature weighing just 5lb 5oz at St Georges Hospital in Tooting.

Born with a one in a half million condition, Ben not only had a blocked intestine preventing him from eating, but intestinal malrotation, a condition causing his guts to rotate so his appendix was under his heart.

His mother Suzie said: “Before he was born they had already prepared to operate on him.

“He was taken away straight away when he was born.”

Ben spent two weeks being fed through a tube and it was six weeks before the family could return home on the day that he was originally due, December 22. Mrs Fry added: “Although he came out of hospital and he was initially fixed I think we will always live in its shadow.

“There was no celebration at the time because it was such a huge shock for the whole family and we lived with him in intensive care for some time.

“I wasn’t allowed to take him out so bonding was difficult.

“It makes me really appreciative of everything and we don’t ever forget that.”

Car mad Ben celebrated his birthday last week with a go-karting party and will be visiting the Top Gear Live Show at the Excel centre in London later this month.