ALFIE Taylor and his mum Julie owe their lives to staff in the coronary care unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Four-year-old Alfie, son of former Wanderers soccer player Scott Taylor, and mum Julie would not have survived but for the skill and dedication of staff on the unit.

"They saved our lives," said Julie, aged 28. She was born with the heart condition Ebstein's Anomaly.

When she fell pregnant in 1998, her heart began beating too fast.

Doctors and nurses in the coronary care unit were forced to stop, and then re-start her heart FOUR times on different occasions. Julie was given a fast-track line to the unit, by-passing accident and emergency at the hospital, each time her heart began over-beating.

Her partner, Scott, was playing for Bolton Wanderers at the time and Julie was a receptionist at the Reebok Stadium.

She said: "I had no idea that being pregnant would cause so many problems for my heart.

"I had to come off the medication which meant my heart started to beat faster. Sometimes my heart would beat at 170 beats per minute. A normal heart beat is between 70 and 80.

"It was very dangerous for me and for my baby and I would have burnt out. Of course, I was more concerned for my baby.

"The staff had to stop my heart using shock treatment with a defribrillator.

"Instead of starting my heart it would stop it, or just slow it down."

Alfie's middle name is Ken in honour of Dr Ken Hearn, the Bolton consultant who was in charge of Julie's treatment. He retired last year but still carries out a part-time consultancy at the hospital.

Julie, of Bromley Cross, Bolton, said: "I don't want to be melodramatic. But I wouldn't have got through the pregnancy successfully without the team. We all still keep in touch. They were absolutely fantastic."

Tracey Higginson, head of cardiology said: "Julie is the only patient to have ever been given a fast line into coronary care. She would ring us directly if she had a problem. Her condition was very rare and her unborn baby was also at considerable risk. The birth of Alfie was very special to all of us."