Sixth form student Tylor Stevens, who was born with a complex congenital heart defect, has died, aged 17, after suffering from a chest infection.

His parents David and Samantha Stevens, of Newcroft Road, Calne, and his sister Leah, 14, ask that his many friends wear orange, Tylor’s favourite colour, for his funeral at West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington, next Thursday at 2.30pm.

They say Tylor, a student at John Bentley School, Calne, enjoyed life to the full despite the challenges he faced. He was a talented artist and achieved an A* in art GCSE. He then continued to attend classes as a Year 11 pupil and went on to do AS-level art.

He had secured a place to study art at Chippenham College in September and his work will be shown as part of an art exhibition organised by John Bentley at Marden House on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Mr Stevens said as a family they enjoyed many family holidays in Weymouth, accompanied by Tylor’s uncle Marcus Petherick and his partner Maria Robinson.

He said: “I am the luckiest man in the world because I have had Tylor. All those memories are ours to keep. He will always be around us because we did so much together.”

The family would like to thank Dr Archer, senior cardiologist consultant at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, and Professor Fairbanks, spinal consultant at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre for caring for Tylor.

Dr Andrew Thornton, GP at the Northlands Surgery, Calne, and Dr O’Keefe, a paediatrician at the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, also proved invaluable to the family throughout Tylor’s life.

Donations can be made to the British Heart Foundation in lieu of flowers care of E Wootten and Son, based in North Street, Calne.