Archie Brown, pictured in hospital with dad Joseph Brown and mum Joanna Osmand. Picture: DAVID FERGUSON (00859033)

A BRAVE boy called Archie is enjoying his first Christmas at home in Jersey after fighting for his life for over a year.

Archie Brown, who is now 16 months old, was born in July 2008 with the condition gastroschisis, in which some of his bowel was outside his body.

Since then he has undergone four operations – including surgery on the first and second days of his life – as a medical team worked to reposition the exposed part of the bowel.

The son of Jersey-born Joanna Osmand and Joseph Brown from Wales, Archie’s medical problems were first detected during a scan when Joanna was 16 weeks pregnant.

Archie received intensive medical treatment over a seven-month period and was finally well enough to leave hospital in April, when his parents brought him to the Island. They now live in a flat in St Helier.

‘I can’t describe how nerve-racking the whole thing has been. It was just the worst time. We are so relieved that Archie is here with us and becoming stronger all of the time,’ said Joanna.