BRAVE Oliver King defied all odds to celebrate his fourth birthday this year - and now his mother has made an emotional plea to support the charity she says “gives disabled children a reason to live”.

Michelle King, from Benwick, near March, Cambridgeshire, is the co-founder of Little Miracles, a parent-led group which offers support to more than 200 families with disabled children across Fenland and Peterborough. They run special trips for the youngsters, taking them to a host of different attractions including the seaside and the zoo.

The group are holding their Summer Ball from 7.30pm at Doddington Village Hall on Saturday, with spectacular entertainment and a host of valuable memorabilia up for auction.

Mrs King’s son Oliver, who has two little sisters, suffers from Down’s Syndrome. He has severe problems with his oesophagus and was born without walls or valves in his heart.

The brave youngster requires 24-hour care; he survives on oxygen cylinders and is fed through a tube.

Twelve operations to connect his oesophagus have failed. It is thought that he is the only child in the world to survive with the disease for longer than a year.

Mrs King said: “He does absolutely everything another four-year-old would do - in fact, he’s probably done more. We don’t know how long we’ve got with him so we’re going to make the most of every single day.

“He’s defied all odds and recently learned to walk. He’s doing amazing and I’m sure that wouldn’t be the case if he hadn’t been given a reason to live by Little Miracles.”

Guests at tomorrow’s fundraising ball will have the chance to bid for stunning prizes including hand-signed Elvis Presley and Pink Floyd albums, Take That songsheets, a signed photograph of the 1966 England World Cup-winning team and a table at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant.

Little Miracles has been donated tickets for a range of days out - but need to raise money to afford coach travel.

Mrs King said: “We’ve got children where the only thing that keeps them going is that they know they’re going on these trips.

“Every Monday Oliver asks to see his Little Miracle friends. The change that you see in families is amazing. It’s great to see the effect some support can have on their lives.

“I know that I’m one of the lucky ones - people look at me as if I’m crazy when I say that but I am. We’re still here and fighting so we’re lucky. Most of the families that you see at Little Miracles aren’t as lucky as me.”

• Tickets for the ball, priced at �15, are available from Mrs King on 07949256302 or fundraiser Emelie Northrop on 01354 741150. For more information visit: www.littlemiraclespeterborough.org.uk