The nine-year-old suffers from the extremely rare genetic disorder Yunis Varon Syndrome and has stunned doctors with his progress despite being given just a year to live at birth.
He cannot breath unaided, must be fed through his stomach, and much of his bone and cartilage has not developed normally. However thanks to support from a legion of friends, family and healthcare workers, he is able to live at home with parents Trevor and Jackie at Mount Eden and started classes at Rossmar School in September, against all odds.
Mum Jackie said she is releived that Dale has pulled through an unexpected setback since receiving growth hormone treatment earlier this year.
"Unfortunately Dale suffered from a bout of pneumonia, which would be worrying in any child, but for Dale it was very hard. He was in hospital for a few weeks and had to go to the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children.
"However he has bounced back, he is fighting fit again and he is expected to go back to school this week. He always manages to surprise us!"
Just the size of a toddler, Dale's vocabulary is limited but he can also communicates via facial expressions.
Speaking about his ground-breaking new treatment, Jackie added: "He has grown about two and a half centimetres but we don't know if it was the treatment or it was just Dale as he has defied the odds so many times already."
Dale receives round-the-clock care from both parents and staff at Altnagelvin Hospital, and respite assistance from hospice workers so that his mum and dad can spend quality time together.
Trevor, who has set up a website to help monitor cases of Yunis-Varon Syndrome says Dale is thought to be the oldest surviving child with the disorder.