FRIENDS Samantha Keel and Samantha Richards-Smith have a very special bond.

They both attend Kingstone Primary School, are both aged 13, and are now in the same class.

But their bond was became closer before Christmas with the birth of Samantha Richards-Smith’s baby brother, Finlay.

He was born with serious heart defects and had to undergo major open heart surgery at the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.

The same had happened to Samantha Keel when her baby brother, Jack, was born seven years ago. He, too, had major heart problems and had surgery at the hospital.

So the two Samanthas decided they would like to say thank you to the hospital for the way staff cared for their little brothers.

With the help of another schoolfriend, Rebecca Oliver, they planned a day at Kingstone High without talking.

They achieved it and staff, pupils and friends sponsored them to the tune of £500, money which they have given to the hospital as a token of their thanks.

FINLAY'S A MIRACLE A 20-week pregnancy scan brought shocking news for excited expectant mother Tracey Richards-Smith. The picture revealed that the baby she was carrying would be born with just half a heart. “I thought it was the end of the world,” she said. But it wasn’t. Today Tracey and her husband David, who live at Kilpeck, have a baby boy called Finlay, nearly six months old, who is thriving. “He is awesome. A star. I am so proud to have him,” added Tracey. She also believes his birth to be a miracle because after the revelation that the baby had only half a heart, there was more bad news to follow. Baby Finlay was born by caesarean section and weighed in at a healthy 9lb 2oz, but things were still not right. It was confirmed that he had just half a heart but the situation was critical because the veins to his lungs were in reverse and the blood flowing the wrong way. When he was just two days old, Finlay had to undergo major surgery to reverse the situation. Tracey was told Finlay was only the 13th baby in Europe to have the secondary problem of reversible veins. He came through the ordeal and returned home, but in March was back in Birmingham Children’s Hospital for more restructuring. A third stage of surgery will follow when he is four. Both Tracey and David know that one day, when his body grows bigger he will need a total heart transplant. They will face that when the time comes. At the moment he is being cherished by his parents, older sisters Sophie, aged 17, Samantha, 13, and brother, Noah, who call him their special boy. Tracey said she wanted their story told to show appreciation and to recognise the skill of medical staff. But she believes reading stories of how children overcome immense trauma against all the odds gives hope and courage to other families facing a similar situation. She hopes that Finlay’s successful fight will prove to others that hope can come out of bad news. Tracey said she and David were sustained throughout her pregnancy, Finlay’s birth and his life-saving surgery by friends and worshippers in the Freedom Church who prayed for him. They have compiled a story of their experiences and it can be found at freedomchurch.co.uk. JACK IS SURROUNDED BY LOVE AND CARE. Baby Jack Keel was just a day old when his parents Alison and Paul were told his life was in danger. He was unable to feed and a heart scan at Hereford County Hospital showed his aortic valve was not working. Jack had to be transferred to a specialist hospital in Bristol and, at just two days old, he had surgery in the hope that it would be several years before he needed an operation again. He went home to Kingstone but 18 months later, his condition deteriorated and he underwent open heart surgery. Jack’s parents are grateful to consultant Simon Meryck and his team at the County Hospital who now keep a watchful eye on their son’s progress. Now aged seven, Jack will never be able to play physical contact sports and gets a little tired. The family know that he will need more surgery in the future, although it will be delayed as long as his heart can keep up with his growth. Jack is aware that more operations are likely and he is apprehensive about the future. But with his parents and sister Samantha, 13, and brother Nathan, 11, surrounding him with love and care he is coping with life at the moment as any other seven- year-old would.