Queen’s Crescent Primary School kids were wearing red on Valentine’s Day in support of fellow pupil Jamie Fern, who last year needed open heart surgery.

The Chippenham school event will raise cash for the British Heart Foundation, whose research helped to save eight-year-old Jamie’s life.

He was born with his heart on the right instead of left side, and also with holes and a murmur.

Following Jamie’s successful operation in Birmingham last March, he now has a pig valve but it will not be the last operation he needs and his epilepsy worsened after the lengthy procedure.

Mum Claire Fern, 41, of Queen’s Crescent, said: “He’s fun-loving and laughs all the time and takes it in his stride.

"Any child living with major complications like him is inspirational. They just get on with it.

“We’ve had so much support. Thank you to all the staff and everyone at the school. The British Heart Foundation is very important because without the research they do, Jamie wouldn’t be here.

“It was a rare operation and he is going to need continuous surgery.”

Mrs Fern is a store trainer at Sainsbury’s in Chippenham, where they held their own Ramp up the Red event for the BHF with colleagues wearing red for £1 and doing a bucket collection in store.

Busy Bees Nursery children helped to promote the day by decorating a wall in the store with hearts.

The day raised £466, of which £31 came from the nursery and £75 from Matt Fiddes Martial Arts school.

Store manager Bob Upshall said: “I think it is important to support colleagues who wish to raise money for causes that mean so much to them.”