FUNDRAISERS will be collecting for the British Heart Foundation's Wear it, Beat it campaign by wearing red today — and Phoebe Whittle is delighted because it is her favourite colour.

The youngster is also very excited because in just over two weeks she will be three – an age that at one time her parents Charlotte and Carl did not think she would reach.

Phoebe, from Blackrod, was diagnosed with a rare cardiac condition called ALCAPA syndrome — a congenital defect meaning her heart was pumping deoxygenated blood to her lungs.

She was rushed to Royal Bolton Hospital's high dependency unit for a heart scan before being transported to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool where she was taken straight into theatre for heart surgery while her parents prepared for a long and difficult recovery.

But the brave girl made a miracle recovery and now she loves nothing more than going to her ballet and swimming classes, proudly showing off her 'superhero' scar to her mum and dad, telling them that her broken heart was been mended.

Mrs Whittle said: "She is doing absolutely amazing. She's managing to do a full day and half a day at nursery like a normal child, and other than a couple of lie downs she's able to do all the things the other children do.

"She is becoming more aware of what's happened and calls her scar her superhero zip, and says her broken heart has been fixed.

"She does ballet and tap dancing and goes swimming – if you met her you wouldn't think there was anything wrong.

"I can't believe she is nearly three. Each year we get to keep her is amazing."

Heart disease is responsible for almost 160,000 deaths in the UK each year, an average of 440 people each day, and there are currently seven million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory disease.

Every year on the first Friday of February, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) asks the nation to join the fight for every heartbeat and show their support by wearing red and organising a Wear it. Beat it. event, to raise funds for life saving research.

Mrs Whittle said: "Both Phoebe and I support the Wear it, Beat it campaign because the thing with heart conditions is that your child can look normal to the outside world because they can't see what's going on inside. People say, 'oh she's ok isn't she?' without realising the full picture.

"Anyone who can donate money to a cause such as this will be making a real difference to children and adults with heart conditions all around the country."

Phoebe was the youngest child ever to have surgery for her condition.

Mrs Whittle said: "Had she been an adult it might have been different but as she is not aware of what went on, now she doesn't every think she can't run up a hill like her friends.

"Sometimes she can be really headstrong about not eating certain foods, for example, and the doctor said it is that strong will that pulled her through everything.

"Her doctors who have looked after have all been fantastic and say that as long as she is happy then there is no point in worrying, so we take every day as it comes.

"I know in reality when the time comes that she wants to have children she might not be able to have them because of the strain on her heart, but we will have to deal with that when it happens."

As well as her loving parents, Phoebe is also supported by her big brother Louis, aged four, who regularly likes to make sure that she is ok.

Mrs Whittle said: "Louis is very aware if Phoebe is unwell and gets quite anxious because when she was in and out of hospital we had to be with her. He is very sweet and will look at photos of her sometimes when she was in hospital with her feeding tubes and then he's say he needs to check that she's still ok. They're very close."