BRAVE heart-op girl Rachel Howker just wants to come home - to play with her cat.

Rachel, 11, from Ramsbottom, became a media celebrity in Florida after she had major heart surgery while on holiday.

Her mum Carol praised the medics who agreed to perform the pioneering surgery on her daughter even though they knew they may not receive the £47,000 fee.

She said: "Rachel is still tired and very sore.

"We never got to Disney World, but she is not bothered. She just wants to go home.

"We are still trying to arrange flights, but we will be back in Britain next week."

Carol and Rachel's step-dad Kevin have been in Florida since April 23 for what was to be a two-week holiday of a lifetime with Rachel, her sister Sarah and grandma Mrs Margaret Bardsley.

She became sick, and doctors suspected it was her heart pacemaker.

Rachelhad open heart surgery at five and a pacemaker fitted two years ago.

The family were told her only hope was a heart transplant and the Florida trip was to cheer her up.

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