A BRAVE youngster born with a hole in his heart has defied the odds again to battle back from the brink of death.

After a series of life-saving operations as a baby, Connor Franklin’s parents were told he wouldn’t need further surgery until he was 18.

But Tracey and Carl Franklin, from Seaham, County Durham, were shocked when the ten-year-old collapsed and was rushed back into hospital for a valve replacement operation.

The youngster had to undergo life-saving surgery once again, but came through unscathed and is recovering at home.

Connor, was born with Fallot’s tetralogy, which meant he had a hole in his heart and thickening of his arteries, causing his lips, fingers and toes to turn blue.

He had an operation at nine days old and a further two operations just after his first birthday to repair the hole and widened his arteries.

Mum Tracey, 39, a shop assistant at Thorntons chocolate shop, said: “We thought we were going to lose Connor when he was a baby, but were delighted he recovered.

“The doctors told us he wouldn’t need any more surgery until he was 18 so, as best we could, we put it to the back of our minds.”

To mark his return to good health, teachers and pupils at Connor’s school, Westlea Primary, in Seaham, held a dress down day, raising £231 for the Freeman’s Children’s Heart Unit Fund.