PROUD parents Lynn and Gary Yates are celebrating their "miracle" baby son's first birthday.

Daniel James is the child they thought they would never have.

But after four attempts at IVF treatment, Daniel was born - five years after they were told they could not have children.

After two failed IVF attempts and a third resulting in a devastating ectopic pregnancy, the couple, both aged 36, thought their chance of becoming parents had gone.

Their last chance, which involved a unique egg-sharing treatment, resulted in joy when Daniel was born at Billinge Hospital weighing 6lbs 14ozs.

Lynn, a design typesetter at the Bolton Evening News, said: "We're still as amazed about what has happened as we were the day Daniel was born.

"He is such a good baby and has slept right through the night since he was eight weeks old. He's also a really sunny, happy chap and is our little miracle."

The couple spent nearly £4,000 on IVF treatment and Daniel was eventually conceived at the Victoria Park Hospital in Manchester.

Lynn had to agree to donate some of her eggs anonymously to other couples to help fund the couple's own treatment.

She had to have injections for two weeks and spent a month using nasal inhalers to boost her number of eggs and get the best chance of conceiving.

Eggs were taken from her, some donated, and others injected with Gary's sperm and then implanted in Lynn's womb.

Lynn said: "I was very scared when I first discovered I was pregnant because we suffered failures in the past and I had had an ectopic pregnancy.

"Right up until Daniel was born I was still very worried, but I was absolutely ecstatic when he was born and couldn't stop crying with joy for at least a week. It was definitely worth it."