AMONG more traditional mantelpiece images of their children, Matt and Vicki Gray keep a very different photograph.

In it, a tiny baby lies in a neo-natal unit cot, connected to a variety of tubes, clinging to life.

It is hard to equate this picture of fragility with the couple's son Kieron, a bundle of energy, laughter and noise who is two years old later this month - but he was born 15 weeks premature, at just 24 weeks, weighing only 1lb 10oz (barely three-quarters of a kilogram).

Over the freezing weeks of late autumn and winter 2010/11, Mr and Mrs Gray shuttled between home and hospital in London, maintaining an agonising vigil through Kieron's against-the-odds battle for survival.

The family has since relocated to Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran, and Kieron, although continuing to suffer lung problems requiring GP or hospital treatment, is thriving.

Mrs Gray meanwhile, campaigns for the charity Bliss on improving care for premature and sick babies, and she wants to raise awareness of the stresses and strains premature birth can inflict on parents.

Today is World Prematurity Day, designed to spotlight issues around premature birth. Some 60,000 babies are born prematurely every year in the UK, and 15 million worldwide.

Looking back, Mrs Gray believes the isolation she felt added enormously to those stresses and strains "Kieron was born at Newham General Hospital and transferred to the Royal London Hospital," she said.

"The staff can't be faulted. They were always there to support us, and provided lots of information.

"But there were still feelings of isolation and helplessness. It was very difficult to get people around us to understand how upsetting the situation was. People of course meant well, but couldn't really grasp how hard it was.

"This continued when we got Kieron home, because we had to be so careful with hygiene, and there was the whole hand washing thing."

Mrs Gray later discovered an online community of parents who had decided to blog about their experiences of premature birth.

"I would hope World Prematurity Day gives hope to people in similar situations to ours. I'd like families to know 24-26 week babies do survive and that there is support out there.

"Just reading these blogs can give people an idea of what is ahead. For instance, a premature baby's milestones can be completely different to those of a full-term baby and you can get worried if a baby isn't meeting them.

"If I'd known about these blogs at the time, it wouldn't have been so difficult."

Baby was nine inches long

WHEN Kieron Gray was born he was just nine inches long, his ears had not formed properly, and his skin was transparent.

But Vicki Gray had feared he would not even get as far as being born alive.

"I thought my baby would be born dead and I didn't know if I could deal with that," she said.

Hours before, Mrs Gray woke covered in blood. In hospital, a water infection was diagnosed. She was to be sent home, but a doctor decided to do an internal examination and found she was in labour.

She was told there was a 40 per cent chance of her baby surviving, but that would be with a disability.

"I said I did not want to see him. I did not want to form an emotional attachment," she said.

"I only saw him for a few minutes before he was transferred."

Days later, Kieron was found to have Patent Ductus Arteriosus. A blood vessel in the heart, meant to close during labour, had remained open.

"He needed two doses of high dose ibuprofen, don't ask me how it works, but the second did the trick," said Mrs Gray.

Kieron also had problems with oxygen levels and with breathing because he was ventilated for several weeks.

"He couldn't tolerate coming off it. His lungs were severely under-developed and he has lung problems now, though we hope he will grow out of them.

"The worst thing was going home and leaving him there, then having to phone the day after to see how he was. I dreaded that.

"It was very difficult, but we had to be strong for our daughter Hannah, who was only 17 months old. She kept me going."

Kieron finally came home in March last year, a week before he should have been born.

Whilst in London, his breathing problems meant regular hospital and GP visits, but since moving to Wales in April, he has only required one short hospital stay.

MRS Gray recommends blogs at www.mummypinkwellies.com and www.notevena.blogspot.com

For further information on World Prematurity Day, visit www.bliss.org.uk or facebook.com/WorldPrematurityDay