A baby who was fighting for his life was saved after his mom decided to give the fragile newborn a hug. Now, at 16 months, Adam Cheshire has taken his first steps.

When he was born, Adam contracted Group B Strep Meningitis from his mother.  With violent seizures and severe respiratory problems, doctors had no choice but to put the baby in a medically induced coma.

With the grim news, doctors had told the distraught parents to take a final photo of their baby boy.

Surprisingly, as he was resting in his mother’s arms for the first time, Adam opened his eyes. Seeing that her touch helped the baby, mother Charlotte Cheshire continued to hold her baby in her arms for up to 12 hours a day.

After 23 days, Adam was released from the hospital.  “Adam is our miracle,” the happy mother said. “He just refused to give up.”

“Skin-to-skin contact, or kangaroo care, is a beneficial way of helping a baby bond with its parents,” hospital midwife Cathy Smith explained the seemingly miraculous phenomenon. “This contact can help the baby relax, improve temperature control and regulate the heartbeat.”

Despite his miraculous progress, Adam is still battling the crippling disease.

“The emotional and financial costs to our family have been immense,” Cheshire said in a recent video (below). “Even though my precious boy is alive, at just a year old his life is marked by disability.”