Four-year-old Owen Burton was found to have a heart murmur when he was aged just nine weeks and this was later diagnosed as a congenital heart defect (CHD) known as tetralogy of fallot.

Now Owen's mum Adele Postlethwaite is calling for greater understanding of the condition as she prepares to celebrate Owen's progress tomorrow on CHD Awareness Day.

A heart defect is the most common birth defect and a leading cause of birth defect-related deaths worldwide — with one in every 145 babies born with a heart disorder.

After being diagnosed with his murmur, Owen was referred to King's Mill Hospital before undergoing the surgery –– a day which Adele says was the scariest of her life.

"The first year of Owen's life was a very difficult one for us and the emotions we went through that day are indescribable," she told Chad.

"We didn't know what to expect. We were in and out of hospitals and we had the constant worry of whether his health would deteriorate, as well as knowing he would need the heart surgery.

"Owen was underweight for the first two years of his life and had really low immunity, so he caught every infection going. But we're just really proud of him for pulling through."

Owen got over the surgery, but Adele says her son will need life-long follow up appointments to aid his road to a full recovery.

She added: "He still has a leaking pulmonary valve which may need replacing in the future, but we live for today and will cross that bridge when we come to it."

Adele, who is the Nottinghamshire contact for the charity Heartline, says it is important to raise awareness of the disorder to support those affected.

She said: "Most of us think of a heart condition as being something that the elderly suffer from, but 5,000 babies a year are born with a heart disorder.

"Thankfully I found Heartline, a charity that has helped us as a family immensely during the last four years.

"We have meetings for parents and children and it's a great way to share experiences and put people in touch with other sufferers.

"When my son was first diagnosed it was a very lonely time and by raising awareness maybe we can help someone get the support they need in this rollercoaster world of CHD."

Families in need of support and helpers should contact Heartline on 01276 70763 or visit www.heartline.org.uk

LINK: Heartline

LINK: Congenital Heart Defect awareness day