CHILDREN behind a fundraising mission to help young heart patients in York and North Yorkshire are celebrating a surprise boost.

Eleven-year-old Cameron Scott along with his sister Lydia, nine, from Heworth, and their friends hit The Press headlines in summer with their bid to take on the Jane Tomlinson York mini and junior runs.

The fundraising event took place within 15 weeks of Cameron undergoing open heart surgery to replace his faulty aortic valve with his own pulmonary valve, through the Ross Procedure, which was his third operation since birth.

The York schoolboy and his family wanted to thank the Children’s Heart Unit Fund which supports families and young patients from our region while they undergo heart treatment.

The group of almost 20 children, along with three adults who ran the York 10k, had hoped to raise £1,000 but reached £2,220. They have since received another £500 in sponsorship from Mike Tomlinson, of Jane Tomlinson Run For All which runs the charity events.

Cameron’s mum Jacqui said: “We met Mike when we went to collect Team Yorkie’s race numbers and we explained that Cameron, his sister and their friends were running to raise money for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) - the charity which supports the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where Cameron had open heart surgery on April 18.”

Mike invited Cameron to wave the flag to start the junior and mini race, before he and Lydia joined the other participants.

Mike has also now sent the pair the £500 cheque to boost their fundraising.

“We were overwhelmed,” said Jacqui, 38. “It was very emotional to watch Cameron start the race and then take part in the 2.5km race, only 15 weeks after major heart surgery.

"It’s a day we will never forget and it was lovely to meet Mike and the Run For All team, who were very inspirational. They also sent Cameron a framed photo of him and his friends and a medal as a memento of the day.

"We just want to say a massive thank you to Mike and Run For All for the donation for CHUF. This will make a huge difference to the charity, and their support made it such a special day for Cameron, Lydia and us. “

The donation has taken their total to £2900. Cameron’s dad Allan, 41, hopes to top it up by doing the 10-mile run after the Yorkshire Marathon on October 14. Donate at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/TeamYoRKIE1

* The CHUF raises vital funds for medical equipment, such as state-of-the-art heart scanner, a paediatric heart lung machine and intensive care monitors, salaries and research while also providing support and care to the children.

This is in addition to the infrastructure costs for the parents accommodation and playroom, enabling families like the Scotts to stay close by at such a difficult time.