Boy, 9, to climb Ben Nevis after heart surgery

A boy who had to spend time in hospital being treated for a heart problem is planning to climb Ben Nevis to raise money for charity.

Stanley Worton, 9, from Bishopston in Bristol, had to be fitted with a pacemaker a year ago, and spent a month in hospital.

Now, he is training to climb Ben Nevis in June to raise money for the Gloucester charity Heart Heroes, which works with families of children being treated at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Stanley said hospital had been difficult for him: "It was quite hard, I couldn't see any of my friends and didn't have much to do. But I got through it in the end."

Stanley's dad Paul said before having his pacemaker fitted, Stanley had dizzy episodes and sometimes nearly collapsed in the street.

"After a lot of tests they found out he had something called complete heart block, which is when some of the chambers in the heart aren't talking to each other and basically his heart pauses for a period of time," Paul said.

"Almost exactly a year ago today he had to be rushed into hospital and now has a pacemaker."

Stanley added: "We were told we had to come into the Bristol children's hospital as quick as we can. I just remember being in there for ages."

While he was in hospital, the charity Heart Heroes came to speak to Stanley to help him understand how he could move forward after the surgery.

They also offered cooking classes and cricket, which Stanley loved attending.

"I am going to try and scale the biggest peak in the UK, Ben Nevis, to raise money for them," Stanley said.

"You have to do a lot of practice mountains because it's quite hard. I've been climbing small mountains, you have to build up slowly and get bigger."

Stanley will take on the challenge together with his mum Catherine.

"She's quite good but not as good as me," he said.

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