A DYING two-year-old boy literally fought his way back from the grave after punching a doctor who was trying to put him into a coma.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital feared Ted Drummond only had minutes to live and were trying to give him drugs to ease his plight when the tot jolted back into life.

The battler, nicknamed Super Ted, defied the grim odds to survive leukaemia and septicaemia and is now back at home surrounded by his family.

His father John 42, said: "We all love him so much. He's a fighter for sure. He really is Super Ted."

Ted from Wickford in Essex, was diagnosed with leukaemia at just six months old and then contracted septicaemia which caused his organs to fail and also stomach bacteria E.coli.

Mr Drummond said: "The septicaemia was causing all of his organs to fail. He was so ill. We were in such a panic.

"I remember the crash team at hospital ringing intensive care and asking for an emergency room.

"They were told there will be one free in 15 minutes. I heard the doctor say 'He doesn't have 15 minutes'.

"I can't explain the anguish we felt. It was horrific."

As their son's condition worsened John and his wife Sarah, 35, were told by doctors they planned to put Ted in a medically induced coma to alleviate his suffering.

Mr Drummond said: "They told us to kiss him on the forehead and to wait outside. They said to us 'We don't want you to watch this'."

While his sobbing parents waited outside the hospital room waiting to be told their son had died little Ted had other ideas and literally fought for his life.

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Mr Drummond said: "A minute later the doctor came out, knelt down on the floor and said 'He's a feisty little boy isn't he?'

"I was putting a tube in his nose and he opened his eyes and punched me in the face and shouted 'No'.

"He said Ted had too much fight and character to be put into a coma, even though his prognosis was so bad."

The little bruiser continued to battle against death and underwent four cycles of chemotherapy to try and beat the cancer.

He is still undergoing treatment, but his condition has improved so much over the past 10 months that he's been allowed home.

The tot is learning to swim and is taking part in a swimathon to raise money to set up a charity raising awareness of childhood cancer.

Mrs Drummond, who has three other children, Ethan, 10, Olivia, four, and Eleanor, four months, said: "Ted's personality and strength of character is what enables us as a family to cope with his illness.

"He lights up the day for all those who meet him and he has an ability to draw people close.

"Despite his age, he takes his medication and treatment with no fuss and has the ability to turn even that into a game or something to learn."

Her husband added: "It's incredible to me that more isn't being done to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

"It is often misdiagnosed and then by the time it is diagnosed it is too late.

"If just one person reads about Ted and demands a *lo** test which ultimately ends up saving their child's life then we will have succeeded.

"Everything we've been through has made me realise people can take away your possessions, your house and your job but they can't take away your family and your hope.

"More than anything we have learned never to give up hope. Ted is living proof of that."