A mother in the United Kingdom who was told by doctors that her son would die following a premature birth is now celebrating his first day of school.

Abbey Burns, 25, told SWNS that her four-year-old son, Roman, was born three months early at 2 pounds, 11 ounces and had contracted a bacteria called Group B strep, which threatened his life.

According to the American Pregnancy Association’s fact sheet on the bacteria, roughly 1 out of 2,000 babies carries the bacteria from a mother who tests positive for it. But only 1 out of 200 becomes sickened by the bacteria. The CDC notes that the bacteria are mostly benign and not harmful, but they can cause illness in people of all ages.

The babies who do contract Group B strep could develop illnesses such as sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia.

“When I went to the hospital they told me that I was already six centimeters dilated, so I was over halfway into labor,” Burns said of her delivery. “It was all so quick, and four hours later Roman was born, but I didn’t even get to hold him.”

“He was taken off me straight away because they had to resuscitate him,” she added.

Once Burns had her baby, her doctors prepared her “for the worst.”

“We were called into a room with the nurses and the consultant and the doctor, and they sat us down and told us that we had to prepare for the worst and that Roman was most likely to die,” she recalled.

Despite the odds against Roman, he survived, thanks to a long road to recovery that included physiotherapy and speech therapy.

Roman was successful enough in his recovery that doctors cleared him to start school this year.

Burns said her son is happy and enjoying his time at school.

“He’s my little miracle,” she said.