‘…sometimes it's just a trip down the corridor between heaven and hell. It was 3.16pm when Joe's skin turned a duskier shade of pearl and a nurse stopped smiling. When she wheeled him off on a silver trolley to intensive care, and we chased her down the corridor, it was as if she'd taken our insides away.’

Joe was born in 1998 to Nia Wyn and her husband, Alex. Their joy was short-lived, shattered by the revelation that their beautiful son was severely brain damaged. They were told he would be blind and incapable of walking or talking. Even worse, he'd be so retarded he would never recognize them as his parents.

Nia and Alex battled against this grim diagnosis. They tried every kind of therapy and treatment, eventually building a light room in their home to provide Joe with specialized stimulation. Nia’s total dedication to her son put a tremendous strain on the marriage and eventually she and Alex separated. But Joe made extraordinary progress, testifying to the power of the human spirit and showing what maternal devotion can achieve.

Today Joe is a happy and energetic boy. He can see, speak and attends mainstream school. Nia’s inspiring and moving book Blue Sky July grew out of the diary she kept during his first seven years  charting his breakthroughs. Read an edited extract here.