In March 2002 I found out I was pregnant to my partner of six years. I was 21 years old but we were still happy about the baby. My parents were looking forward to becoming grandparents.

At 25 weeks I started swelling so I went to my doctor (we live in a small town that doesn't deliver babies so women go to either one of the towns on each side of Hay, which are both about one and a half hours away). When I got there my doctor told me I was suffering from extreme pre-eclampsia and I had to be monitored.

I stayed there one night, then was transferred to Melbourne Royal woman's hospital five hours away from where I live. One week after being transferred there my son Tyler James was born by emergency Cesarean due to increasing blood pressure. He was born at 26 weeks, 1 day weighing 605 grams.

He was so small and was bright red. His fingers and toes were still webbed together and his eyes still fused shut. He breathed for himself the first 24 hours. Then his lungs were too immature and he was ventilated.

Unfortunately Tyler was in the percentage that develop severe chronic lung disease and after four and a half months of trying everything to make his lungs repair themselves including three months off steroids that bloated him his wonderful doctors approached us about taking him off steroids.

After much soul searching we decided to let our brave little man go to a place where he could be pain free. On the February 24, 2003, (he was born September 25, 2002) his dad and I took him off cpap and 10 minutes later as I held him in my arms he went to heave.

I would just like to pay tribute to my beautiful, brave baby boy up there in heaven. Tyler taught me so much about unconditional love and having the strength to fight another day. I will always love him and my family and I (his dad and I split six months ago) will always love and remember him.

On a brighter note I have got a 14-week-old daughter, Tyler's little sister, whom I know he will watch over from heaven and he can be sure she will know all about her brave brother in heaven (her birth story shortly).

We will always love you, our little man. Love Mummy, Pop, Nan, Uncle Wally and your little sis, Tashana