BRAVEHEART cardiac patient Jake Cathcart and family have taken centre stage in modelling the latest Alder Hey pyjamas available at Matalan.

Jake Cathcart from Moss Bank was born in 2015 with a rare and undiagnosed heart condition leading him to suffer two cardiac arrests and a respiratory arrest.

On his first birthday he had major surgery to close a hole in his heart and his parent’s didn’t know if he would make it.

But he did and since then, his mum Claire Cathcart has, alongside other parents of children with heart conditions, raised thousands to send surgeons abroad to help other children with broken hearts.

This year, Matalan have teamed up with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to offer matching family pyjamas with 100 per cent of the profits going to Alder Hey Children’s Charity’s 7in10 Children’s Mental Health appeal.

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And Jake, his proud parents Claire and Neil and little sister Daisy have been selected as one of the families to model these special pyjamas.

The appeal aims to raise £3million to improve inpatient and community health services at Alder Hey, giving more children access to the treatment they need, when they need it, transforming the way mental health services are delivered to children and young people.

Jake’s proud mum Claire said: “It’s truly an honour to be chosen as one of the families to represent Alder Hey in their pyjama campaign this year, because Jake has been through so much and it’s nice to celebrate him and the hospital.

“We were told in Summer but had to keep it to ourselves, then we were supposed to go to Manchester for the photoshoot but it went into lockdown and with Jake being high risk we could not go.

“Thankfully they moved the shoot into Alder Hey and that was perfect for us, because it’s like a second home to Jake. He loves the pyjamas and doesn’t want to take them off, and even though Daisy was a nightmare on the shoot they got a lovely picture of us all together. I’m just so chuffed to see them.

“Mental health is vitally important, all of us are struggling now, but I imagine when Jake gets older he will, like many other who have been poorly, need support.

“That’s what this money will pay for, mental health support for children who have already been through so much.

“So I hope people will rush out to Matalan and get them and support a good cause.”

n The pyjamas can be purchased at matalan.co.uk/charity/alder-hey/together-for-alder-hey. Prices: Adult PJs £12.50, Children’s PJ’s £8.50, Baby Grow £5.50, Pet Outfit £5.50, Mug £2.50.