A mum has paid tribute to her son who defied the odds to survive into adulthood battling a devastating muscle-weakening condition.

Jimbob Waddington died in his sleep on October 17 at his independent-living home in Stuart Court, off Manchester Road.

The 29-year-old, who had muscular dystrophy, was not expected to live beyond his teenage years by doctors but he outlived their predictions, said his mum June Waddington, who lost her first son, Mark, to the condition aged 17.

Friends and family were gathering at Scholemoor Crematorium today to say their final farewells, and donations in his memory will go to Martin House Hospice, where he had respite care, and to the Muscular Dystrophy Society.

His mum said her son had to fight from birth when he was born 14 weeks early weighing 2lbs 10oz and spent nine weeks in hospital before being allowed back to his Allerton home.

Miss Waddington had been tested to see if her unborn baby was likely to have the condition and results came back 99 per cent in favour of him being healthy, but they were wrong.

“He was a sweet little thing. He went to Lister Lane Nursery then its primary and went to Fairfax School in his electric wheelchair.

“As a teenager he loved his music and would buy LPs to do his own mixing on his decks at home – he desperately wanted to be a DJ,” she said.

When he was 19 he became a doting dad to son Kayden, now ten, and went on to study an IT course until his condition made it difficult to continue.

Six years ago he moved out of the family home to live independently although he stayed close to his family, especially his older sister Lindsey and her children and his brother Adam.

“Jimbob used to tell us he would not let his condition take him, he would not give up, but he had been having a lot of chest infections just before he died – it was still a big shock to us though.”