A BOY born more than two months before his due date weighing just 3lbs 14oz is preparing to take on his next gargantuan challenge to thank those who helped him survive his first few weeks.

The Graham family endured an agonising wait to take their newborn son, Sam, home from Darlington Memorial Hospital when he was born nine weeks early in June 2001.

Six years on from sleepless nights in various neonatal intensive care units, determined Sam followed in his father’s footsteps to scale Ben Nevis – Britain’s highest mountain.

The father-son duo have since gone on to clamber across the peaks and fells of the Lake District ahead of Sam pledging to trek up Mount Kilimanjaro aged just 16-years-old.

The teenager, who is an aspiring field doctor, said: “We’re going for Bliss, which is a charity that supports babies that are born premature and sick and the reason for that is that I was born nine weeks premature.

“I only weighed 3lbs 14oz and I was extremely unwell, but through the charity, I got help and it was their support that got us through.

“I was born at Darlington Memorial Hospital and Bliss are a national charity that work with neonatal departments across the country.

“I’ve gone on to be able to play rugby and I’m a member of the Mowden Park U17 team. I’ve stopped playing while I’m training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro though, in case I pick up an injury.

“I’ve been training for this by going to the Lake District every weekend and I’ve been training most days in the gym.”

Sam has self-funded the trip to reach the top of Africa’s highest point – a dormant volcano in Tanzania – and will head out for the expedition next month.

His proud father, Steve, who will also be taking on the challenge alongside Sam, said: “When he was born, it was a very worrying time as a parent and even after those first few weeks, he had a lot of health problems.

“What he went through was very rare and after he was diagnosed with a zinc deficiency, a lot of doctors came to see him because they hadn’t seen anything like it before.

“But we’re an active family and now he’s a 16-year-old rugby player. Kilimanjaro will be his first high-altitude experience, but he’s been climbing for years so we’re looking forward to it.”

Sam has set himself a fundraising target of £1,000 and to donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/samgraham2017