Peter Andre has opened up about how terrified he was when his baby son was forced to spend his first Christmas in hospital as he struggled to breathe.
It was not longer after baby Theo had been born that doctors realised he was having breathing difficulties and rushed him to a medical ward for treatment.
The reality star, 44, and his doctor wife Emily were left facing “a very scary time” as their son battled against bronchiolitis.
Fortunately the tot pulled through and is now a happy and healthy one-year-old.
And the family can’t wait to put the bad memories of last year behind them and spend their first Christmas as a large family all together at home.
As well as Theo and his three-year-old sister Millie, Pete and Emily will also be joined by his older children Junior and Princess, from his marriage to Katie Price.
Emily, who works as a doctor, admitted that it was only recently that she had felt able to talk about her son’s terrifying illness.
“He (Theo) was struggling a bit with his breathing so needed oxygen in hospital,” the 28-year-old told OK! magazine.
“It was tough for me to speak about at the time but now he’s a chubby cherub and is right as rain, I feel fine to talk about it.”
Singer Pete revealed he had felt powerless and unable to protect his baby boy, who was being looked after by Emily’s mum, who is a paediatrician.
“It was a very scary time,” he explained.
“We worried like crazy.”
Bronchiolitis is a respiratory infection which affects babies and toddlers under two.
Theo’s weight dropped from 6lb 10oz to 5lb 7oz in just three days.
And he had to put in an oxygen chamber and given oxygen therapy to regulate his breathing.
But now, with that worrying time just a bad memory, the family are looking forward to a very happy Christmas all together.
“I’m really looking forward to it as last year Theo was so miserable and he wasn’t well at all,” said Emily.