LITTLE Jack Bannister is a kid in three million.

But nothing has come easy during his 13 months of life.

Born seven weeks premature, battling Jack has overcome five operations in his fight for survival - and now faces a giant struggle which mum and dad Gill and Rob aim to ensure he can overcome.

Jack is one of only 18 known sufferers in Britain with SED syndrome - Spondylo epiphyseal displacia.

Mum Gill (pictured with Jack), of Chinnor Close, Atherleigh explained: "His main problem through life will be his bones. His arms, thighs and spine are short. He will grow to only between three and four feet tall.

"SED is a form of dwarfism which Jack has had since birth, but his body will be proportional as in a normal-size person.

"Only 12 'babies' and six adults in Britain are known to have it."

Jack made a dramatic entry into the world on Easter Sunday last year when Gill went into labour while on a caravan break at Holker Hall in Cumbria.

Born in Barrow by emergency section, Jack was transferred just hours later to Liverpool"s Alder Hey Hospital by police-escorted ambulance. Doctors soon discovered he had SED syndrome.

That to Gill and Rob meant their concerns about Jack's club foot problem seemed like a speck in the ocean.

She said: "In his first 11 months Jack had five operations. Specialists don't know enough about the syndrome to be able to tell us if hormone treatment would help.

"Jack is mentally absolutely fine. But, because his growth and development is delayed, he will be three before he can walk. He gets frustrated because his brain says he should be crawling."

Gill said she and Rob have been told there is a one per risk of any future offspring also having SED.

But she would like to increase the family.

She said: "I'd worry for nine months but it hasn't put me off. We'd love to have a little brother or sister for him."

Gill, who before Jack's was born worked at Norwest Industrial Roofing at Lowton, and heavy goods driver Rob depend on both their mums and Rob's sister for help.

Grateful Gill said: "We've never been out together since he was born. It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week care.

"We have a home help in the morning preparing a meal but no funds are available to help us with anything else. It's been hard work."

Now they're pinning their hopes on Child Growth Foundation backed research coming up with something which may help and prevent others suffering.

If you'd like to help, contact CGF at 2 Mayfield Avenue Chiswick, London, W4 1PW.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.