THE sunny smile of tiny but tough Shannon Ryan is on its way back only a week after open heart surgery.

Sixteen-month-old Shannon spent three and a half hours in the operating theatre undergoing microsurgery to put a new patch on a tiny hole in her heart.

Mum and dad, Dave and Mandy Ryan, of Margaret Street, Oswaldtwistle, had expected to be at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital for at least two weeks.

So they were thrilled when Shannon was allowed home only five days after her second heart op.

Dave said: "We can't believe she has done so well.

"For the first few days she was on pain killers, but she's happy to be home and the smile is coming back without a doubt."

Mandy added: "It will take her a few weeks to get back to her little self, but she's doing great."

Shannon, who was born with Downs syndrome, was only three months old when she had her first operation to repair three holes in her heart.

Although the surgery was a success, the patch on the tiniest hole came away.

Dave and Mandy paid tribute to the skill of heart surgeon Mr Franks and his team, who carried out both operations, and the "fantastic" hospital staff. The couple are already noticing the difference in Shannon following the surgery last Monday, March 4.

Dave said: "Even though she's in pain, she's taking bottles like she never has done before."

With Shannon doing so well and Mandy at her bedside, Dave was able to dash back to Accrington for a charity snooker fund-raiser, in aid of a cot death charity very close to the family's heart.

The event starring snooker star Jimmy White raised more than £5,000 for the Oswaldtwistle Friends of CONI (Care of the Next Infant) launched by the couple following the death of their baby son, Connor.

Dave said: "Jimmy White was marvellous. He was really concerned and asked me to ring him up and let him know how Shannon is."

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