He had a frame drilled into his head and his skull cracked open: Now, after more than 50 operations, brave Billy has a new face after battling rare illness

Seven-year-old Billy Mitchell, from Hertfordshire, was born with Apert syndrome, a rare condition that causes malformations of the skull, face, hands and feet. He endured a series of major operations to correct the deformities - which included a procedure to crack open and reshape his skull and another to rebuild his features. He also had a titanium frame drilled into his head and left there for nine weeks. The surgeries carried risks including meningitis, brain damage, catastrophic bleeding leading to stroke and potentially death, but Billy pulled through and now parents say he absolutely loves his new face.