LIKE most teenagers, Derek McDonald had made special plans for his eighteenth birthday, but instead of enjoying a big party with family and friends he was forced to experience his special milestone from a hospital bed.

But there's still a beaming smile lighting up his face... for Derek has spent most of his young life battling against an ultra-rare condition and is so lucky to be alive at all, as thousands of our Star readers will recall.

Derek, from Birch Road in Haydock, who featured in dozens of Star stories since he was born, is one of only 10 people in the UK to suffer from Ondine's Curse which stops the sufferer from controlling their breathing when asleep.

The youngest person to be diagnosed with the condition, Derek was only given three weeks to live by doctors, but has since battled against the odds to lead a normal life.

Soon after birth, Derek relied on a ventilator to help his breathing at night and has undergone a series of major operations to improve his standard of living, the latest coming at the end of June to mend a hole in his neck when a tracheostomy was removed after Derek had expressed a desire to swim.

When Derek was discharged from Fazakerley Hospital two days after the operation, plans were made for his 18th birthday celebrations on July 10. But they had to be cancelled when Derek collapsed the next day with breathing difficulties after his neck wound became infected.

On admission to Whiston Hospital it was discovered that Derek had an abscess on his neck which was preventing him from breathing.

Despite spending his 18th birthday in the high dependency unit, Derek enjoyed a small celebration with his family and staff at Whiston who made a cake for him.

Derek was discharged from Whiston Hospital on Tuesday, but is now waiting to be fitted with a pacemaker at Broadgreen Hospital on August 8 which will ease his breathing.

And he plans to hold the postponed party later in August, when he promises to make up for the time he has lost, he said: "I was really disappointed when I missed my 18th birthday but now I'm looking forward to a big party in August."

The family also plan to go on holiday in September when dad, Derek, has promised to give his son a helping hand to learn to swim. He said laughing: "Derek has always said he wanted to swim, so after all of this I have told him that I'm going to throw him in at the shallow end and he's going to have to swim!"