Bingley baby Albie Carroll has notched up a fan-base from as far away as the US as the world watches his fight for health via the internet.

He has yet to hit the three months mark, but Albie's life has been highly eventful and due to the skill of the heart surgery team in Leeds now appears fixed on a normal course.

Earlier this year, Albie's prognosis looked far less positive, however.

He was born on December 12 and shortly afterwards his parents Christian and Freya suspected health problems, with a kidney condition diagnosed.

Those health issues continued into the New Year and he ended up being rushed into hospital following an examination by a GP.

That was followed with a journey by special ambulance to Leeds Children's Hospital at Leeds General Infirmary.

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Specialists concluded he had four holes in the heart and on February 19 he underwent major surgery to ensure his heart functioned properly.

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Following spells in the Paediatric Intensive Care and back on Ward 51, he was discharged and is now back at home with his family.

During the anxious weeks while Albie was diagnosed and treated, his great aunt Anne-Marie Carroll pasted a long series of photographs and updates on his progress on a Facebook page.

The idea had been to protect his parents from repeated questions about his welfare from curious relatives in their large family.

But unexpectedly her updates became a Facebook phenomenon, attracting inquiries from overseas including people in the US.

“As well as sharing the news about Albie’s treatment, we wanted to pay tribute to the wonderful staff on the unit who have helped our family along every step of the way,” Anne-Marie said.

“You hear about children’s heart surgery but until you go through it as a family you don’t realise what is involved and all the work that goes on there.

“We also realised how much the hospital is supported by the work of charities including the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and the accommodation at Eckersley House run by the Sick Children’s trust.

"We can’t speak highly enough of them and all they do to help the team and youngsters like Albie.”

Mr Carroll said reading details on the Facebook blog also helped others facing surgery.

"Other parents booked in for surgery came to find us and said because they had seen the blog, they wanted a chat," he said.

"It was a fantastic feeling to be able to do that because when we arrived there a woman did exactly the same for us."

Christian, 25, a carpet cleaner, and Freya, 27, a primary school teacher, are now back home in Heaton Crescent, Eldwick, with Albie and are working to bring his weight up.

They are also planning to start fundraising work for the hospital, with a target figure of £25,000.