IT'S a special amount of money for a remarkable individual.

Hampshire schoolboy Ben Warner, 15, was left brain damaged after an operation at Southampton General Hospital when he was just one month old.

Ben suffers from "subtle but disabling" brain damage due to the oxygen starvation that afflicted him following a hernia operation in April 1989.

Unlike his three brothers, Ben will never lead a completely normal life. He has difficulty completing everyday tasks like getting dressed and experiences problems with speech, co-ordination and academic work.

But, thanks to a £1.5m compensation payment decided at London's High Court, his financial future has been secured.

Although a lively and outgoing teenager, he lives with the effects of what his father, Greg, termed "subtle neurological damage".

Parents Katie and Greg, both GPs at the Nightingale Surgery in Romsey, decided to take legal action eight years ago, when the extent of the damage started to become apparent.

Dr Warner said: "As one would expect in someone with neurological damage, Ben was late with all of his milestones. It was set in contrast by his three brothers, who weren't late meeting theirs.

"We were very upset that he was born normal and these things happened to him as a result of medical care."

At the High Court Ben's QC, Christopher Gibson, told the court that "serious problems" developed in the wake of the hernia operation, resulting in a catastrophic respiratory arrest around midnight on April 12, 1989.

This episode was at the heart of Ben's case, said the barrister, with the hospital having admitted negligence in relation to the incident, although disputing that it caused long-term problems.

Ben, of Raglan Close, Chandler's Ford, claimed damages from the Southampton and South West Hamp-shire Health Authority, through his parents.

Mr Gibson QC praised the commitment shown by Ben's parents and three brothers in supporting him.

"The judge approved the £1.47 million settlement. Three-quarters of the cash is based on Ben's predicted loss of earnings during his adult life due to learning difficulties."

Dr Warner said: "It's quite unusual because settlements of this sort are usually to pay for the cost of future care. This is based on his academic abilities as compared with his siblings.

"This seems like an incredibly large amount of money to some people but Ben will never have £1.5 million.

"It's basically his life's earnings, that's got to last him until he is 80 years old.

"Although money cannot compensate for every aspect of one's loss," he said, "in practical terms it's very helpful and it is a sort of symbol for what the system can do to compensate for loss."

He said his son's achievements owed much to the efforts of his three brothers - Laurence, 9, Jeremy, 13 and Jonty, 17 - who had done their utmost to help him tackle his disabilities.

Ben, a pupil at Toynbee School in Chandler's Ford - where he is assisted by a special needs co-ordinator - is now preparing to take GCSE exams in 2006.

He is a passionate Saints fan and season ticket holder at the club. He is a member of the Eddie Stobart fan club and will undertake work experience next summer at Southampton Central Railway Station.

Ben lists his favourite lessons as PE, food tech, IT and Drama. He currently spends one day each week studying an IT NVQ at Eastleigh College.

Dr Warner said: "Ben has done incredibly well but that's down to his incredibly positive attitude. Where he finds things difficult he is always willing to have a go. His school reports are wonderful and he always gets an A or A* for effort.

A spokesman at Southampton General Hospital said: "We are pleased that the solicitors for both the parties have been able to settle this claim and hope it will help Benjamin for the rest of his life."