Like thousands of other four-year-olds, Owen Piper has been looking forward to his first day at primary school today.

But it will be even more of a special moment for his parents Hayley and Craig as it is something they did not dare imagine when their son was born.

The smiling youngster - starting at St George's Primary School on the Isle of Sheppey - was born 17 weeks early and weighed just 1lb 9oz.

When Owen came into the world at 23 weeks, his parents, of Barton Hill Drive, Minster, were told his chances were virtually zero and he would not survive 72 hours.

But the tiny baby was immediately rushed to the Oliver Fisher special care baby unit at Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, where he stayed for 17 weeks.

In that time he became stronger and his parents were eventually allowed to bring him home – the day after his due date.

Now the family is preparing to celebrate a milestone as Owen starts school today.

He has been discharged completely from Medway Maritime and 29-year-old Hayley said last winter was the first he had not been admitted to hospital after getting poorly.

"He's come on leaps and bounds and he's a proper little character," Hayley said.

"His talking is just phenomenal – he's a real chatterbox.

"I never in a million years thought he would go to a mainstream school, I always thought he'd be behind in something.

"He's such an inspiration to me – I look at him every day and think he's gone through so much already, but he's just not fazed by anything."

Hayley, who works at RTC Europe, on Sittingbourne's Eurolink Industrial Estate, is full of praise for Daisychains Nursery – on the same site as the school in Chequers Road, Minster – where Owen went.

She says they have taught him so much and helped prepare him for the next milestone of "big school".

Staff at St George's school have also been fantastic and very supportive, she said.

"Owen is so excited about school – every day he asks me 'is it school yet mummy'," Hayley said. "He's still in three-year-old clothes so his uniform is a bit big – but he's so ready for school."

The family regularly helps fundraise for the Oliver Fisher Trust. To find out more, visit www.oliverfisher.org.