FIVE years ago Samantha Goddard was left blind after fighting for survival when wrongly given the drug Tamiflu for suspected swine flu.

Now, she is celebrating the first birthday of her “cheeky little lad” Vinnie tomorrow.

Unfortunately, it has not been an easy ride over the past year as Vinnie was diagnosed with low grade glioma, which means he has two brain tumours, at just three-and-a-half months old.

The tumours are benign but a rare form that continue growing, and doctors have told Samantha the condition is not genetic or a result of her health problems following the wrongly prescribed drugs she took in December 2009.

The youngster – who has had four operations – is registered blind, fed through a tube to his stomach and has to undergo regular chemotherapy and physiotherapy.

His 24-year-old mother, who lives in Kings End in Bicester with partner Tony Chandler – who is also visually impaired – said: “We have been through a lot over the past year.

“Everything was going fine then he got to about three-and-a-half months. We noticed Vinnie wasn’t taking his bottles and it felt like he was looking for us and not at us.”

The couple took Vinnie to the doctors and after several different tests, medications and visits, they were referred to the John Radcliffe Hospital for an MRI scan, which revealed the tumours.

Since the diagnosis, the family have overcome the challenges they faced and Vinnie – although still going through treatment – is starting to talk and can now roll over.

Miss Goddard said “It is hard and it has been heart-breaking but we deal with it because at the end of the day it is not his fault, we just have to keep going. Tony and I just push on through it.

“We still do the normal things and have days out. He babbles away now. The first word he said was ‘dada’, so that was a proud moment, and he says ‘mama’ but only when he is crying.

“It has been difficult making sure we do the right amount of medication but we have learnt and we know how to do his feed pump now like the back of our hands.

“Tony has taken on Vinnie as his own. I have been with him since Vinnie was 17 days old he loves him and Vinnie adores Tony.

“We have had our downs and it was devastating at first but you learn to cope with it. We have also had our ups too when he started talking and rolling. He is what you would say a normal child is just with a few difficulties, he is just a cheeky little lad.”

The birthday boy has to have physiotherapy once a week and chemotherapy three times every six weeks until he is two years old.

He will then have regular check-ups to monitor the tumours and treatment.

The pair celebrate Vinnie’s birthday tomorrow with a party for family and friends and are hoping to raise money for a sensory bedroom for Vinnie in the lead up to him being able to crawl.