A BRAVE East Lancashire youngster battling a rare heart disorder is helping to raise cash for the hospital which helped save her life.

Little Olivia Ratcliffe, from Colne, was born with a complex defect with her heart on the right-hand side of her body rather than the left.

The defect means she suffers from breathing difficulties and a lack of oxygen in the blood, leading to blueness.

Doctors only gave her a 50/50 chance of survival when she was born and now say her life expectancy is about 30, unless she has a heart transplant.

She has already gone through three major operations at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool and faces a fourth - The Fontan Procedure, designed to direct blood directly to the lungs.

Olivia's condition is similar to that of Manchester youngster Kirsty Howard, 11, who was born with a back to front heart and who carried the torch for the opening of the Commonwealth Games with footballer David Beckham.

The £5million Kirsty Appeal, which has secured the long-term future of Francis House Hospice in Didsbury, was completed last week after years of fundraising.

Now Olivia's parents are hoping they can follow suit and raise cash for the cardiac unit at Alder Hey, which has been treating the youngster and others like her.

They are staging an evening of music from West End musicals next week with half the proceeds going to the hospital and the other half to the local Catholic Fellowship.

Olivia's mum Stacey Pennell, 29, of Knott's Drive, Colne, and dad Richard Ratcliffe, said they were keen to try and help the medical staff who had "done so much" for their daughter Stacey said: "Olivia was born two years ago, weighing a healthy 7lb 13oz. At three days old she was taken back to hospital and that was where we discovered that she had problems with her heart and was rushed to Alder Hey Liverpool Childrens' Hospital and was given a 50/50 chance of survival.

"At Alder Hey not only did we discover that her heart was on the right-hand side, but she had a very complex congenital heart defect, which would involve many operations throughout her life. Olivia had her first operation at six days old and we were told that her next operation would be when she was two-and-a-half years old.

"But at 19 months old they had to operate, due to the lack of oxygen getting round her body.

"Alder Hey have done so much for us, especially Olivia. She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the brilliant doctors and surgeons.

"We would like to say thank-you by raising money for the cardiac unit because there are a lot of children who have heart problems, who need their help and the money we raise would go a long way."

The event will be at Byerden House Social Club, Colne Road, Burnley, at 8pm next Friday.