A Shropshire family is supporting National Heart Month with a plea for people to join the organ donor register.

Oliver Harrison from Oswestry is not yet two years old, but the little boy has had to endure four open heart operations in his short life and is living life with chronic heart failure.

Last year he had to have an artificial tricuspid valve put into his heart and became the youngest living person to survive such an operation.

But despite his serious illness, his mum, Emma Humphreys says Oli is enjoying as normal a life as possible, including making new friends at the Oswestry School pre-prep nursery.

Emma, partner Adam and family and friends, have embarked on a series of fundraising events in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

As well as raising cash they want to raise awareness of the condition affecting Oli and other youngsters and of the need for organ donation.

She said: “The doctors can not tell us when Oli will need at heart transplant.

“Most children with his condition get to the age of about 14 before needing a transplant but unfortunately Oli has complications that means his need will be much sooner.

“The sad truth is that when that time comes, someone will have to die for Oli to live.”

She said that at the hospital in Newcastle where her son had his last lifesaving operation there were usually at least three children waiting for a heart transplant.

“The more people that sign up to the organ donor register, the more children like him have the chance of life.”

“He has endured such a lot in his short life and if he is such a battler .”

Fundraisers include a Madonna tribute night at the Last Inn, Hengoed, on March 13, a raffle and a dress in red day at Lawrences in Church Street, Oswestry on February 26 and a sponsored walk and bag packing.

Emma’s sister, Sally Rogers, and friend, Fiona James, will also embark on a fundraising trek across Iceland in July. More information on their marathon is available on http://original.justgiving.com/sallyrogers

By Sue Austin