LIKE children all over the world, two-year-old Ben Lee will be opening his Christmas presents at home tomorrow.

Christmas Day is always a special occasion but for Ben and his family it means that little bit more this year.

Ben doesn't see his family home very often he lives pretty much full-time in hospital, where he is under constant supervision for heart and lung defects.

His condition is so serious that he is only expected to live for a few more years.

It is a heartbreaking story but his mother Kristy wants to do all she can to make Ben's short life as happy as possible and was determined he should not spend Christmas in hospital. So Ben is being allowed home for a few days.

Christmas is a time for hope, and Kristy is clinging to as much hope as she can for Ben's future. "He's getting stronger. If he starts eating proper food he will live a lot longer," she said.

Her love for Ben and her strength of will are admirable and a lesson to us all.

And as we watch our children open their presents tomorrow, it may be worth a thought for little Ben Lee and his first Christmas at home.