Chris Pratt opens up about the premature birth of his son Jack

ACTOR Chris Pratt has given an emotional speech about the premature birth of his son Jack, who weighed 1.7 kilograms after arriving nine weeks early.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - DECEMBER 05: Actor Chris Pratt speaks onstage at the March of Dimes' Celebration of Babies: A Hollywood Luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on December 5, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for March of Dimes)

ACTOR Chris Pratt has delivered an emotional speech about the premature birth of his son Jack, who arrived nine weeks early weighing just 1.7 kilograms.

Doctors feared the infant would face an uphill battle for survival, possible disabilities and would likely require extensive surgeries.

#HappyThankgiving #12thMan pic.twitter.com/38cKDKXhaX

— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) November 28, 2014

Pratt and his actress wife Anna Faris faced the heart-wrenching crisis in August 2012 when little Jack arrived too early.

“I made promises in that moment about what kind of dad I wanted to be and I just prayed that he’d live long enough that I could keep them,” Pratt told the March of Dimes Celebration of Babies fundraiser over the weekend.

A-list couple ... Pratt’s wife is House Bunny and Scary Movie star, Anna Faris. (Casey Rodgers/AP Images for Malibu)

“I’ve done all kinds of cool things as an actor — I’ve jumped out of helicopters and done some daring stunts and played baseball in a professional stadium, but none of it means anything compared to being somebody’s daddy.”

Nothing compares ... Guardian of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt says not even his coolest movie roles are as great as being “someone’s daddy”. Picture: Supplied

Jack was so small when he arrived that Pratt joked he was “a decent-sized bass ... but very small for a human”.

Miraculously, after just a month in intensive care, the couple were able to take their baby home where he thrived.

In stitches ... while Chris Pratt’s speech was heartfelt and emotional, he also injected some comedy that had the crowd laughing along. Picture: Getty Images

“Our Jack went from a small, helpless little squirt to a strong, smart, happy, funny, beautiful boy who loves monster trucks and ‘Daniel Tiger,’ and, believe it or not, loves vegetables.

“Broccoli and cherry tomatoes are his favourite foods.”

And Pratt’s little boy so far hasn’t required any surgery to “correct his eyes”, as doctors had once feared.

Cash cow ... Chris Pratt’s speech helped raise $1 million for the March of Dimes charity. Picture: AFP

Actress Elizabeth Banks was also honoured at the lunch, along with movie studio executive Elizabeth Gabler.

The event raised more than $1 million.