A LITTLE boy with the heart to battle a serious condition has been celebrated at a Ludlow school.
On his fifth birthday, which fell on Valentine’s Day, little Louis Jones was at the centre of a fundraising activity at Ludlow Infant School.
To mark Louis’s recovery from Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome the school, inspired by the British Heart Foundation, held a ‘Wear Red Day’ to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital where he has been treated.
Despite his tender age Louis has had three open heart operations, the last of which was only six months ago.
“He first had open heart surgery when he was just 11 days old,” said his mum Becky Thomas, who lives at Rock’s Green.
“They did not diagnose him until he was 10 days old and said that he shouldn’t have survived past three to five days.”
Louis’s first operation took place on February 25 in 2009, his second one on July 2 in 2009, while the latest one was performed on July 20 this year.
Since then Louis, whose six-year-old sister Poppy also attends the school, has been on the road to recovery and is fighting fit.
“He does not know how to walk he runs everywhere,” said Becky.
“When he had his last operation we told him he was having superpowers put in.
“His Oxygen levels have improved. He used to be really blue and was carried and pushed everywhere.
“He could not bounce on the trampoline and had to get someone to pick him up to do it.
“And I’d just like to say that the school has been amazing.”
Debbie Jones, teacher of Louis’s class, said: “He is one of the liveliest in the class. He is full of energy – not still for a minute and very resilient.”
The majority of pupils came into the school, based on Sandpits Road, wearing red with some just wearing red socks if they could not find a whole outfit.
Around £220, with more to come, was raised for the hospital in honour of Louis who celebrated his big day with the gift of a drum kit.
“He was on it at half past six in the morning and he has been bashing away on those,” said Becky.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left ventricle of the heart is severely underdeveloped.
The majority of congenital heart defects have no known cause.