A Gwendraeth Valley schoolboy who spent his first days fighting for his life has decided to raise funds for a hospital unit which helped look after him.

Jimi Jones is planning to climb Pen Y Fan on Sunday, October 21 to raise money for the Special Care Baby Unit in Singleton Hospital.

The Ysgol Gorslas pupil was born at 39 weeks on November 7 2008 by emergency caesarean weighing a healthy 7lb 3oz, but unbeknown to anyone, his mum Jo Griffiths was a carrier of the group B strep.

“My pulse was 150 and Jimi's heart rate was 194 prior to the emergency caesarean,” said Jo.

“He was born very poorly and was unable to breath for himself due to the infection.

“He was looked after in the neonatal intensive care unit in Singleton Hospital and just got worse and worse.

“His lung had collapsed so he had a chest drain inserted. He also had pneumonia in his right lung and heavy growth of group B strep in his blood, his lungs and his skin.

“He was a very sick baby and had PPHN, a pneumothorax and was put on high frequency oxygen and phototherapy.

“We were advised to have him christened because the doctors didn't expect him to get better.”

He was christened Jimi Gerallt Jones on Wednesday, November 12.

His condition deteriorated over the following days and it was decided that he needed a heart and lung bypass.

A bed was found for Jimi in Leicester ECMO centre and in the early hours of November 16 two nurses and a consultant picked him up in an RAF Sea King Helicopter to transport him.

“He was part of a trial and was cooled to 35 degrees to try and prevent any damage to the developmental part of his brain during treatment,” said Jimi’s mum.

“Following 60 hours of ECMO Jimi was transferred back to Swansea on November 20 and had his first cuddle on November 22.

Nine-year-old Jimi is now a Year 5 pupil and has arranged for his friends, family and teachers to climb the third highest peak in Wales to raise funds for the unit which looked after him in his first days.

Ysgol Gorslas recently held a non-school uniform day to help Jimi’s cause and raised £210 which has brought his total to almost £900.

“Jimi has since been part of the ECMO trial and has been followed up in Oxford to check on his development, and he is perfect, loving little boy who loves his friends, art and playing the piano,” added Jo.

“He is the best big brother and we are so very lucky to have him.”

“We have always told Jimi his story and now he is older and can see his scars he realises the severity of what he has been through and he would like to give something back as a thank you.”

To support Jimi, you can visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jimijones.