THE mum of a brave Droitwich youngster who needed open-heart surgery has said that a balloon he let go which was found 40 miles away the day before his operation seemed like a lucky charm.

Five-year-old Joshua Preece was waiting for the surgery when he answered a phone call from a girl in Staffordshire who had found his balloon race entry lying in a field.

After his operation four weeks ago, Joshua's third since he was born with a hole in his heart, his family heard that the balloon, which he let go on December 23, had won the competition.

Joshua's mother, Jayne, said the competition had cheered the family up and the balloon being found in Staffordshire - where Joshua's great-grandparents used to live - seemed like a good luck charm.

She added: "It was the third time he was to have surgery and we weren't sure he was going to get through it.

"But just like the way we let the balloon go and it came back - Joshua came back to me."

Following his surgery, the youngster, from The Tyning, Chawson, is recovering well and is due back at Ombersley Endowed First School in March after he has a check-up. Mrs Preece said he is so energetic she has to try to keep him quiet sometimes so he gets some rest.

Joshua claimed a £10 voucher for winning the balloon race. His twin sister, Lauren, who also entered the contest, is taking his victory with good grace. The race was organised to help raise £5,000 for an architect's report on restoring St Andrew's Church, in St Andrew's Street.