A TINY triplet born with a rare heart condition has battled his way to full health to start school alongside his sisters.

Fredrick Goodall, now four-years-old, struggled to breath due to a missing breast bone - which meant his heart was not protected.

Internal birth marks in his windpipe caused further complications.

His arrival into the world was captured on camera, with Fredrick and his sisters Indiya and Freyah staring on Channel 4 documentary One Born Every Minute.

Despite his shaky start, Fredrick is now the liveliest of the triplets.

Mum Carolyne Goodall, 47, proudly looked on as the trio walked into Hadleigh Infants School, in Bilton Road, Hadleigh, together for the first time.

She was filmed for almost ten weeks after finding out she was pregnant with triplets in November 2011.

Mrs Goodall, of Woodlands Park, Leigh, who has four older children, said: “I was desperate to have another child and my husband was not so keen, but I did manage to persuade him.

“When we found out that I was pregnant with triplets it was a bit of a shock.

“I had an email in about January 2012 with an offer to appear on a TV show called One Born Every Minute, I replied and said I would be interested but I didn’t think it would happen.

“We had interviews and various test runs in front of the camera and then the crews followed me about for almost ten weeks.

“They were filming all parts of my life and pregnancy including shopping for baby clothes.

“In the end I just forgot that they were there really, I was just focussing on the babies.”

The triplets were born at Southend Hospital.

Medics did not initially recognise Fredrick’s symptoms, but later diagnosed him with rare congenital abnormality Cleft Sternum.

He underwent a series of operations at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, including one to add a mesh material over his heart.

Mrs Goodall added: “Fredrick was in and out of hospital for six weeks.

“It was a relief when he was finally diagnosed, but it was tough at the time as I had the girls in Southend Hospital and Fredrick at Great Ormond Street.

“Luckily the conditions have not affected his life or development.

“He is the most energetic of all of my children and is very proud of the scar on his chest. We’re so proud of him and how far he has come.”