A HELENSBURGH youngster with a “heart of gold” is the pride of his home town after he was honoured by one of the UK’s biggest charities.

Findlay Campbell, nine, has been named as one of three “Young Heroes” at the British Heart Foundation’s annual Scottish Heart Heroes awards.

Findlay and his mum Debra Readhead travelled to the University of Edinburgh’s medical school on Tuesday for the ceremony.

As reported in last week’s Advertiser, Findlay, a pupil at St Joseph’s Primary School, was one of three young people in the running for the accolade.

But in the end judges couldn’t separate the trio and decided to jointly give the award to Findlay, Nathan Byrne and Colbie-Kate Ross.

Debra told the Advertiser: “It was an amazing day, and so humbling to hear the individual stories of the people who had been nominated for an award.

“Findlay was great – he was absolutely chuffed to bits.

“One of the other nominees, Nathan, was so deserving. He’s just a baby, and his parents had raised something in the region of £23,000 to get him surgery, and Findlay kept saying that he wanted the baby to get recognition – I think he fell in love with him.

“One award winner lost his 18-year-old daughter when she died suddenly because of an undiagnosed heart condition, and he’s campaigning to have all children screened for heart conditions.

“To be a part of a day full of stories like that, and for the BHF to recognise all these children, was just amazing – we’re really delighted.”

Findlay was born with complete congenital heart block as a result of the antibodies in his mum’s blood attacking his heart in the womb.

He was born early after the condition was diagnosed and had a pacemaker fitted soon after birth.

And while his condition means he can’t be quite as physically active as his friends and schoolmates, that hasn’t stopped him working tirelessly to raise awareness of his condition and raising money for the work of the BHF.

Debra continued: “I was having nightmares before the event – I was asking myself what would happen if he won the award and had to speak. But he went up himself and though he didn’t say much, he did it all on his own.”

Findlay is due to undergo surgery again within the next six months to have the battery in his pacemaker replaced – but that isn’t going to stop him campaigning to raise awareness of the BHF’s work.

Debra added: “He had to stay behind for about an hour afterwards to have all the official pictures taken, and he’ll be doing a number of press events for the BHF. We’re hoping to try and get to other BHF events too.

“But for now we’re looking forward to our family holiday to Disneyland Paris.”