YOUNG Munawar Khan cannot eat or breathe without a life support machine, but thanks to a charity the nine-year-old boy has not stopped smiling.

Munawar was granted his biggest wish -- to own a PlayStation games console -- after the Make a Wish Foundation UK heard of his battle with muscular dystrophy.

Make A Wish is a national charity that grants the favourite wishes of children living with life threatening diseases.

His mum, Rashad, of Cross Hill Road, Blackburn, said: "He couldn't believe his eyes. You should have seen his smile."

Munawar has been on life support since he was about two months old. But the fun-loving youngster has not let this get him down and unlike most children he loves to attend school.

Mrs Khan said: "He can't eat or breathe on his own and he has to use a wheelchair to get about, but he loves his school and has lots of friends there."

The charity came to the house on Saturday to set up the console while the family were out in Manchester. They had booked a table at an Indian restaurant so Munawar was out of the house. Mrs Khan said: "Munawar can't eat anything, but he's allowed to chew things so long as he doesn't swallow. He loves the taste of food and spices.

"We got back at around 8.30pm to find the PlayStation all set up. He didn't stop playing for hours that night and got up early the next day so he could play it again. It's given him so much pleasure."

The Broadlands special school pupil was only three months old when he was taken to Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn and later transferred to Manchester's Booth Hall.

Since then he has spent six years in intensive care before finally being allowed to come home in November 1997. Now, Mrs Khan said, he hates the very mention of hospitals and prefers to play at home with his two brothers Rizwan, 15, Salim, 12, and two sisters Rabia, 14, and Salma, 12.

Mrs Khan lost a nine-month-old baby to a similar disease in 1997, the year Munawar came back home.

She added: "He's one of the special ones and we all love him to bits. His dad, Mohabbat, really dotes on him.

"Some people say we all spoil him, but they don't know what it feels like to be his mother.

"He's going to be like this for the rest of his life."