After a long battle lasting several months, Jacob survived meningoencephalitis - an infection of the lining of the brain and the brain substance. And two weeks ago, true to his wish, the book 'Jacob, My Titanium Man' was published. 

"I'd like to thank my mother: she made my dream come true," the amiable 17-year old told friends and family gathered for the book launch, held at Bottegin Palazzo Xara in Rabat.

Thanking all doctors, nurses and therapists present at the launch, Sarah, his mother, said: "For me this is more than a book launch. This is a celebration of life. Thank you all for being part of that."

As Jacob chatted and joked about during the book launch it was easy to forget the long road to his recovery. It all started with a simple cold. In January 2013 Jacob complained to his mother that he had a splitting headache, she thought he was down with a winter cold. But within days he lay in a coma on a hospital bed, and had had half his skull removed.

"If we don't operate, he may die; if we operate, he may die," the doctors told Sarah and Sammy, his father. They were constantly preparing them for the worst. Chloe, his little sister was terrified she was going to lose her beloved brother and end up an only child.

But Sarah refused to give up.  Instead she promised him that one day he would be an old man sitting on a bench telling his grandchildren the amazing story of how he had fought his battle and won.

"This is the story of a boy who survived against all odds, who became a beacon of hope to thousands, who inspired his family to set up Survivors Malta, a group where people going through traumas can give each other the motivation to carry on," President Emeritus George Abela said during a short interview in the launch.

Sarah willing shared a roller coaster ride of emotions with co-author Kristina Chetcuti, Sunday Times of Malta columnist. At times she relived painful moments which she had buried and tried to forget - but hoped that it would help people going through traumas themselves.

"We're just an average family who all of a suddenly found ourselves in a helpless situation. We fudged along, we nearly gave up, but somehow we found a way not to let it beat us," she said, visibly emotional.

"It is our story of hope and we want to share it," she said. 

'Jacob, My Titanium Man' is a Merlin Publishers publication. It is written by Jacob's mother Sarah, with Kristina Chetcuti. The book is available at all leading bookshops