Brave Blackpool youngster Toby's just had his FOURTH cardiac operation and he's still only nine

But happy-go-lucky Toby Daws, who is aged nine, manages to stay chirpy despite the fact that he has endured numerous health procedures.

The youngster, from South Shore, was born with congenital heart disease and needed corrective surgery not long after he was born.

But that wasn’t the end of his struggles, as he needed two more operations to correct potentially fatal narrowing of the aortic valve.

It was feared that Toby, a pupil at Park Community Academy on Whitegate Drive, would need a heart transplant, as his cardiac issues continued to affect him.

But last month he underwent another type of cardiac operation which, it is hoped, will mean he won’t need a transplant.

Toby underwent a Ross procedure, one of the most complicated types of heart operation there is.

It was carried out at the Freemans Hospital, a specialist cardiac unit in Newcastle, and entailed the diseased aortic valve being replaced with Toby's own pulmonary valve, followed by replacement of the pulmonary valve with a pulmonary homograft.

Toby’s mum, Nicole Fallon, said: “It’s very complex surgery and we won’t know for a while whether it has worked.

“Toby will have to go for a check-up to see how he is going.

“If it doesn’t work he may need a heart transplant after all.

“Toby’s amazing, he takes it all in his stride and I think he secretly loves the attention!

“But it is becoming more difficult now he is older and it was hard when he had to go up to Newcastle and I obviously had to go up there with him.”

Nicole had to stay in a hotel for a week, which would have been very expensive had it not been for help from a special charity.

CHUF - the Children’s Heart Unit Fund - supports children and families who receive treatment at the Children's Heart Unit based at the Freeman Hospital and the many other hospitals providing care for cardiac patients throughout the North of England.

Nicole added: “They do lots of things to help people, but in my case they took away the stress of sorting out and paying for accommodation, they are really good.”

Nicole’s friend, Lucie Owen, who is also from Blackpool, is raising funds for CHUF by running in the Morecambe Half Marathon on September 29.

Lucie said: “Toby is a brave and hilarious little boy living through real health issues, an amazing little character.

“Nicola has really been helped by CHUF so I am trying to help them by raising as much money as possible for them.”

Lucy is trying to raise £2,000 and has so far (by teatime on Monday July 29) raised £305. on her JustGiving page.

Anyone who wants to help can click here.