'Miracle' Derbyshire boy, 9, excited for Christmas after TWO heart transplants
This time last year he was fighting for his life
A Derbyshire family are counting their blessings this Christmas, a year after their nine-year-old almost died from a rare heart condition.
Kori Parkin-Stovell, who's from Ripley, was born with the defect and had a heart transplant in 2018.
But last November his new heart failed and he was rushed to hospital, where he stayed for six months.
Against all odds, while he was there he was given a second heart transplant and is now back at home recovering.
His mum Kerrylee says it's a miracle:
"This time last year Kori was dying and we really were just given hours with him. So to think a year on, we're here planning Christmas and wrapping presents and decorating his bedroom, it's incredible and the NHS really are unsung heroes - they are incredible.
"I don't honestly think that there are any words in this world that could possibly portray how grateful and thankful we are to all the medical staff. What they did was nothing short of a miracle because how Kori survived we just don't know."
In the run up to Christmas last year, Kori was fighting for his life in hospital and doctors told his family he would probably die.
Kerrylee says there'll be a big contrast this Christmas:
“On Christmas day, Kori was in intensive care and he was very, very poorly. He wasn't able to eat or drink anything at all. To be honest, at that stage we weren't sure Kori was going to survive much longer. So it was really devastating and a precious time at the same time.
"This year, he is still recovering, but he is alive, cheeky and a pure joy! We’re looking forward to Christmas - Kori wants to be a chef so he's asked for a chef’s hat so he can help with Christmas dinner this year.
"He will also have his own tree, in his own bedroom, which he is very excited about! Whatever we do as long as we are all together that's all that matters.”
And Kori himself tells us he has a message for all the medical staff that helped him at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle:
"A big thank you to all of them. I miss all of them, they are very kind and I love them."
Throughout Kori's treatment his family was supported by the Sick Children's Trust.