Steeton mum Penny Roberts will soon be celebrating the first birthday of the child she never thought she'd have.

Her son Peter was born prematurely last September at Airedale Hospital, unaware that his mother had fought long and hard to keep him.

Penny was paralysed after a skydiving accident which left her without the use of her legs and limited use of her hands. She believed her injuries would make it impossible for her to conceive, but, with the child on the way, Penny faced having the baby taken away from her due to a wrangle with social services.

And, after Peter was born his father, Andrew Mitchell, announced he would be launching a custody battle, despite leaving Penny when she was 11 weeks pregnant.

With all this now behind her, Penny will be celebrating Peter's first birthday next week with family and friends who have been so supportive in the past.

"I don't know where the year's gone," she told the Herald.

With a cheeky face and huge blue eyes, Peter is like any other baby, finding his own "cuddling" position on his mother's lap as she whizzes around in her motorised wheelchair.

"When I first brought him home I felt more insecure than any new mum because I thought everyone was watching me," added Penny. "And it wasn't just me having to learn how to change nappies and other things, there was four carers as well.

"I first decided that I would do everything by the book, but when I finally realised that I wasn't really being watched I started doing things my own way."

Penny believes Peter will accept his mum being in a wheelchair until he goes to school, when inquisitive children may start asking questions.

"But when the time comes that I've got to explain the reason why I'm in a wheelchair I think he'll understand," she added.

"And hopefully when people ask him he'll know enough about it to explain to them."

In the next 12 months, Penny and Peter are gearing up for moving house, although they want to stay in Steeton.

"People around here have been very protective of me," she said. "One old couple came up to me and told me that it was really great how I had fought to keep Peter and that they knew he was really wanted."

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