LITTLE Abbie Tinkley continues to defy the odds.

It was almost three years ago that the tot's mum and dad, Nick and Lynn Tinkley, were told she wouldn't live to see her first birthday.

And, although she's not out of the woods yet, the little girl looks set to make her first visit home since she was admitted to Alder Hey Hospital when she was three months old.

Abbie was diagnosed with type one spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) just weeks after she was born.

The rare genetic disorder means the muscles controlling her breathing and swallowing will gradually deteriorate.

But since she had a tracheotomy, where an incision was made in her throat to aid her breathing, her condition has come on in leaps and bounds.

And now the family is preparing to bring the special little girl home.

In six weeks' time, Nick and Lynn are due to move into a specially adapted house and are training to cope with every eventuality once she does return.

Nick said: "It's a very exciting time for us. Abbie is stable at the moment and infection-free.

"It's more than we could have hoped for - everything we were told she'd never do - she has proven them wrong.

"We never expected her to get to her first birthday, so each one has been a milestone and now that she's coming up to her third birthday she's just defied all the odds.

"The outlook was never great, and she's still pretty fragile, but we never dared to hope we'd get to where we are now."

He added: "She's even started talking and comes out with mum' and dad' now and again. Every time we tell her she's coming home her eyes light up. She's better than she's ever been - the tracheotomy has made her life so much better. She's made amazing progress.

"We're training at the moment to be able to look after her at home with every aspect of her care."