A SEVEN-month-old baby boy is lucky to be alive.

The parents of little Phoenix, who had to undergo three open heart surgeries, are getting on their bikes to raise money for the doctors and nurses that saved his life.

Damien Curtis and Clare Miller were told that he would be born with a rare congenital heart disease known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome as half of the organ had not fully formed while he was in the womb.

Last August, at just four days old, Phoenix Curtis underwent his first scheduled open-heart surgery in Bristol Children’s Hospital, then he had a heart attack and was placed on life support for several days.

Two weeks after recovering from that, he suffered a significant stroke to the left side of his brain.

Damien and Clare finally took their baby home to Park North for five weeks but had to return to Bristol in November when a scan picked up a narrowing of his aorta.

Phoenix returned to the operating theatre for two cardiac catheter procedures to widen the artery, then his second scheduled open-heart surgery, followed by an emergency third open-heart surgery to widen an artery that lead to his lungs.

He is still recovering in hospital but fortunately, but is unlikely to have further surgery for another few years.

Clare said: “It was terrifying, you never think there’s going to be anything wrong with your baby.

“It was a hard to come to terms with, it’s been a difficult time for me and Damien.

“Phoenix has been amazing, though, we play with him every day and he’s the happiest baby ever, which makes it all worth it.

“The staff here have been incredible, I can’t thank them enough, they’ve given our son a chance at life.”

Damien said: “It’s been a rollercoaster, people are surprised I haven’t had a nervous breakdown. I don’t know how we’ve coped.

“You see other families on the news who are dealing with things like this, but you don’t fully recognise the severity of the situation until you experience it yourself.

“Clare has kept me together - I thought it would be the other way around, you know, as a man you try to put on a brave face, but it’s been tough.”

Now the couple are taking part in the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal bike ride from Land’s End to Bristol Children’s Hospital in September.

Damien said: “We wanted to give something back to the hospital because the staff have done so much for us and they feel like friends now. I keep questioning my sanity because I haven’t even got a bike and the last time I rode one was to school, I think I’m going to struggle.”

Damien and Clare have been staying in accommodation provided by the Ronald MacDonald House charity, and they’ll start training once they’re back in Swindon.

Mitchell Cycles in Swindon has offered to give them two bikes to use for the event.

An unexpected problem could delay their return home.

Damien added: “We need to move to a new house before they discharge him because a live-in nurse needs to keep an eye on Phoenix and our current house isn’t suitable, there aren’t enough bedrooms.”

The nurse will be provided by the Ronald MacDonald House charity.

To donate to Damien and Clare’s Grand Appeal fundraising, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/ajourneyforphoenix

Keep up with Phoenix’s progress on facebook.com/ajourneyforphoenix