Perrie Edwards shares never-been-seen childhood snaps from her days in hospital as she thanks the NHS for saving her life in emotional post

Published: 12:51 BST, 6 July 2018 | Updated: 13:20 BST, 6 July 2018

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Perrie Edwards shared a series of emotional, never-before-seen photos from her childhood as she thanked the NHS for saving her life on Thursday.

The Little Mix star, who relied on the help of the National Health Service after she was born with rare birth defect oesophageal atresia, said she was 'eternally grateful' as the healthcare system marked its 70th anniversary.

The 24-year-old singer, whose condition forced her to undergo multiple operations, marked the birthday of the NHS by posting poignant pictures from her days in hospital on Instagram.

'I'm eternally grateful': Perrie Edwards shared a series of emotional, never-before-seen photos from her childhood as she thanked the NHS for saving her life on Thursday

'Me at the hospital disco,' she wrote across one snap, which showed a young Perrie dancing with a number of other child patients, unbeknownst to her that she would one day show off her moves in stadiums across the world with her Little Mix bandmates.

A second picture showed a baby-faced Perrie smiling with her 'favourite nurse Sandra', dressed in a fur-lined denim jacket that was typical in the late nineties/early noughties.

She then shared a clip of her younger self lifting her top to reveal the scar left behind from her operations.

So cute! One snap showed a young Perrie dancing with a number of other child patients, unbeknownst to her that she would one day show off her moves in stadiums across the world

'Thank you for saving my life! I'm eternally grateful #nhs70,' Perrie wrote alongside the poignant post.

Oesophageal atresia is a rare birth defect that affects a baby's oesophagus (the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach).

Although it's not exactly clear why it happens, it's thought to be caused by a problem with the development of the oesophagus while the baby is in the womb.

Speaking shortly after finding fame on The X Factor, Perrie admitted she went to great lengths to cover her tummy because she was deeply insecure about her scar.

Brave: Perrie then shared a clip of her younger self lifting her top to reveal the scar left behind from her operations

Thankful: The Little Mix star, who relied on the help of the NNHS after she was born with rare birth defect oesophageal atresia, said she was 'eternally grateful

Lacking confidence: Speaking shortly after finding fame on The X Factor, Perrie admitted she went to great lengths to cover her tummy because she was deeply insecure about her scar

She admitted: 'When I was little, my oesophagus was too small, so I had to get it operated on to help me eat properly. I had to have lots of operations, so that’s why I don’t want to show it.'

But Perrie has since learned to embrace her blemish and now proudly shows off her scar in a number of social media snaps.

Recently sharing a topless snap from one of her sun-soaked Mykonos holiday, Perrie wrote: 'Mermaids have freckles and scars too... embrace them. I think they’re beaut!'