A multidisciplinary team at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) has given three-year-old Hugh Hannemann a second chance at life and granted his mum Sally her ultimate wish – a hug from her son.

Hugh was diagnosed at birth with neuronal migration disorder. Until six months ago, his little body was battling 20 seizures a day. He could not walk, talk, feed himself or even recognise his parents. Everything he would learn would be forgotten the next day.

A specialist team of RCH neurologists, neurosurgeons and technologists planned the surgery that would change the Queensland toddler’s life. The team used a new hi-tech magnetic resonance imaging scanner that allowed them to zoom in closer than ever on Hugh’s brain.

The technology enabled his medical team to salvage parts of his brain that otherwise would have been removed.

RCH neurologist Dr Simon Harvey said while two-thirds of Hugh’s right side of the brain looked malformed, there were tissues of it that were still functioning normally. “His brain is like a handmade garment, the operation was specially tailored to him,” Dr Harvey said.

Hugh’s mum Sally Hannemann said she thought the operation would stop his seizures but never imagined her “little hero” would be living a normal life so soon.

Just a few months after surgery “he looked at me and said, ‘Mum’,” Mrs Hannemann said through tears. “It was just the best – I’ve been waiting three years for that. I didn’t know if he knew who we were.”

“They saved his life.”

Click here to read the full story on Hugh on the Herald Sun website.