The parents of a baby born with an extremely rare illness that affects just ten people worldwide will fly home to the UK from Thailand later this week.

Five-month-old Finley Phillips and his parents dad Nick, who is originally from West Bay, and mum Abby will be heading to Ipswich Hospital after being given the green light by medical staff yesterday (February 1) to fly home.

From Ipswich doctors will assess which specialist department in the UK is best to care for him.

Finley was born with a chromosomal disorder which has left him with holes in his heart.

A duplication of chromosome 14 has resulted in him being diagnosed with a number of significant abnormalities, including Craniosynostosis (early skull fusion), two holes in his heart; severe hearing loss; club feet and hands and an inability to gain weight.

This diagnosis means Finley will have severe developmental delays and an ongoing lifelong disorder.

Finley and his parents Nick Phillips and Abby Kay, originally from Surrey, currently live in Bangkok, Thailand.

The couple moved to southeast Asia five years ago to fulfil their dream of living overseas.

Abby said: "We’re thrilled not only because we’ve been accepted by the NHS but also because my family live 30 minutes down the road.

"Finley won’t stay at this hospital as they don’t have the specialist departments he needs but we’ve been told that this is the best thing to do as it means we can get Finley into the system and then it will be quicker to find the best place for him.

"So, providing all goes to plan we will fly out of Thailand at 00:15 on Friday (February 3). 

"We will land in Heathrow at 6.20 am and get taken in an ambulance straight to Ipswich Hospital."

The £40,000 flight home has been made possible thanks to donations made by members of the public.

A fundraising page was set up after Finley's expensive medical bills drove Nick and Abby to the brink of bankruptcy.

Abby said: "The money raised has managed to secure our flights, we still have hospital bills here to pay, we don’t yet know the sum of these.

"We are beyond relieved, extremely anxious about the flight but mainly just so glad to be getting Finley home and to where he needs to be."