For Dominic Head, this summer is going to be a bright one. The five-year-old can see properly for the first time after doctors used part of his thigh muscle to help him open his eyes in a pioneering operation which gives hope to hundreds of other children.

An abnormality in the muscles of his eyelids was so severe he could barely see. The only way he could have any vision was by tipping his head backwards, putting a strain on his delicate neck. His eyesight was hindered further by extremely thick, dark eyelashes.

Dominic's life has not been an easy one, though he is a bright and resilient child. The abnormality in the eyes was caused by foetal alcohol syndrome - a condition he was born with, caused because his mother drank excessive amounts of alcohol during her pregnancy. That also left him with heart problems .

After he was born his parents were too drunk to feed him and Dominic's health became so poor doctors feared he wouldn't survive. After spending the first seven months of his life in and out of hospital, Dominic went to live with his adoptive parents Avril and Ron Head, from Croydon.

Avril cannot believe the difference the operation at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital has made. She said: 'Thanks to the surgery Dominic has been given a new pair of eyes. He keeps saying to everyone, "Do you want to see my new eyes?" He looks up and there are these two blue sparklers looking at you. It's fantastic. He is so proud of them.'

To open Dominic's eyes, surgeon David Dunaway used a 10cm strip of tissue from his left thigh. This was used to attach his eyelids from the bone underneath the eyebrows to the muscle in his forehead. The operation, carried out under general anaesthetic, was extremely delicate. Surgeons had to get the tension just right so that his eyes didn't stay open or closed all the time.

For Dominic, the surgery was a major success and he can now open his eyes simply by raising his eyebrows, which in turn pulls up the eyelids.

Dunaway, a plastic and craniofacial surgeon, said: 'Dominic didn't have the muscles to allow his eyes to open properly. So what we have done is transfer a tendon from the leg so that he can use his eyebrows to open his eyes. We took the tendon from the leg because we needed something thin and strong and that would last a lifetime.

'The operation was a success and Dominic is really pleased with the results. He can now open his eyes enough so he doesn't have to tilt his head backwards.

'It makes his face look more normal, which will help him to make friends at school. There is all-round benefit.'

Although he still is unable to feed himself and is very small for his age - weighing less than two stone - Dominic is making great progress. He goes to school and has defied doctors who said he might never walk or talk properly. He also reads and writes better than many other children of his age.

But in some ways he still lags behind. He only started walking when he was four and finds steps difficult to climb. Foetal alcohol syndrome is caused when a pregnant woman is drinking six or more units or alcohol a day, which has a devastating effect on the baby in the womb. Children can be born with mental and growth retardation, behavioural problems and heart defects. Experts estimate it affects up to 1,190 babies each year.

Avril, who has fostered 120 children over the past 20 years, said: 'We took him home and he never looked back. He never had to go into hospital again because he was ill. He has been so strong emotionally and his character is amazing. He has been phenomenal at making the best of what he has got. He never complains.'

She said doctors carried out the operation on Dominic's eyes in April only this year because before that he was too small. 'Dominic's eyes were affected by the alcohol but doctors didn't do the operation until now because he wasn't big enough. Before, the only way Dominic could see was by tilting his head backwards and looking through tiny slits. It used to put a terrible strain on his neck and there was real concern it would cause long-term damage because the seven vertebrae that support his neck are fused.

'He has also got incredibly thick eyelashes, so it was like looking through hairy curtains. All you could see before was eyelids and eye lashes.

'After the operation, Dominic was able to open his eyes almost straightaway. It's great to be able to see his eyes for the first time.'