GREAT Budworth grandparents Tom and Pamela Howarth are delighted after raising £2,800 for the hospital, which saved their granddaughter's life.

The couple, of Colliers Lane, held a pigeon sale at Gladstone Club, last month, to raise money for the Cardiac unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

The hospital has treated Lucy Barker, five, of Greenbank, since she was born with a deformed heart which had two holes in it.

She will eventually need a heart and lung transplant.

A similar event, which was held as Lucy fought for life almost five years ago, also raised £2,800.

More than 160 people attended the event and pigeons arrived from all over the country to be auctioned.

Tom travelled to Durham, in the north east, to pick some up and others were sent from Wales and southern England.

He said: "I think I will need two years to recuperate from this but it was a good night and I think everybody enjoyed it."

The future looked bleak for Lucy when she was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital for life saving treatment.

She was given little chance of survival and doctors carried out emergency surgery to try and correct her deformed heart.

Now she attends Hartford Manor Primary School but will need a transplant.

Pamela said: "It is in the lap of the gods.

"It is living on a knife edge. She has to be watched all the time.

"She is so much better than she was. At one point she couldn't walk around."

Tom added: "I want to thank everyone who donated raffle prizes and everybody who gave on the night."