WHEN Gemma Wilson was six months old, her parents were told she had just 24 hours to live.

The little girl had been ill for months with bronchiolitis, a serious respiratory condition, and stopped breathing several times.

Now Gemma, a twin to Danielle, celebrated her fourth birthday on Sunday and is getting ready to start school in September.

Gemma featured in the Bolton Evening News when she first became ill and had to be treated in a Sheffield hospital because there were no facilities to treat her in Bolton.

About a year later, the Royal Bolton Hospital received funding for the specialist equipment and Gemma has been treated there regularly ever since.

She has to wear hearing aids and has the mental age of an 18-month-old.

The twins will start St Peter and Paul's primary school in September. They have been in the nursery class at the school for the past year and have spent the summer at Rose Hill nursery, in Manchester Road, preparing for the everyday tasks at school. Their parents, Anna Cummings and Colin Wilson, of Great Lever, along with brothers Ashley, aged nine, Nathan, aged seven, and five-year-old Colin, cannot believe the day has come.

Ms Cummings said: "I can't believe we've got to Gemma's fourth birthday. When she was six months old, we were told she would not make it through the next 24 hours and she's still here and well.

"We are really lucky she is here. She's a bubbly girl and really friendly, even though she has the mind of an 18-month-old. She loves playing with her sister and friends and doing the usual things little girls do.

"Danielle and Gemma get on really well. Gemma's speech isn't very good so Danielle does all the talking for her. She always knows exactly what she wants, even when I don't. They follow each other everywhere."

The twins celebrated their birthday with two parties, one with family and one with friends.