THE family of a terminally-ill Bacup youngster has issued a desperate appeal for help to get him home for Christmas Day.

Seven-year-old Jack Heath suffers from Hunters Syndrome (MPS II), an inherited condition that has left Jack with hearing problems and an enlarged liver and spleen.

In October he was rushed to hospital when he developed breathing difficulties, another common symptom.

After initial tests at Rochdale Infirmary, Jack was transferred to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury, where doctors performed a tracheotomy.

The youngster had been making steady progress and his parents, Elizabeth and Jason and two-year-old sister Katie, had been looking forward to Jack coming home for Christmas Day.

But on Monday the family was given the devastating news that Jack would not be able to leave Pendlebury - unless the family find someone trained in resuscitation.

Now the Heaths are desperately searching for a nurse or somebody with resuscitation training to come to their house in Cotman Close for a few hours so Jack can have Christmas dinner and open presents with his family.

Elizabeth said: "We've been trying anything we can think of. I've even offered money to some nurses, but so far we can't find anybody.

"It doesn't even have to be on Christmas Day, we could do it on Boxing Day, any time that suited.

Elizabeth said the lack of a resuscitation trainer was down to a mix up.

She said: "For weeks, I've been asking staff Are you sure we can take Jack home for Christmas?', and we were told yes.

"But it turned out both hospitals thought that I had been given resuscitation training, when in fact I hadn't.

"By the time it was picked up on Monday, it was too late because they only have one resuscitation trainer and they cannot get hold of him before Christmas."

Elizabeth, who gave up her job to care for Jack, said: "I don't blame them because both hospitals are so busy.

"Of course we understand why they are saying no, because should Jack have a bad turn whilst he's at the house we couldn't help him."

Hunters Syndrome, which affects one in 150,000 boys, means that Jack is unlikely to survive to his teens.

Elizabeth added: "This might be his last Christmas and we want to make the very most of all the time we have left with him. "