Jake's Burton Latimer birthday dreams come true

It's been a tough few months for Jake Willis from Burton Latimer.

Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome - an incurable condition which means he has half a working heart - he's been shielding from Covid as he is vulnerable, unable to go to Millbrook Infant School and confined to playing in his garden.

The coronavirus pandemic also meant he couldn't have a big party to celebrate his seventh birthday today (Tuesday) but he is still grinning from ear to ear after his dreams came true at the weekend.

As a fan of fast cars and motorbikes his family had organised for some to drive past him on the green in Cranford Road on Saturday - but he was stunned when 150 turned up from as far away as Milton Keynes and Peterborough.

Dad Darren, 31, said: "We told him that there would be five or six cars that were going to come through.

"When more started following after that his eyes just lit up."

Highlights included a Lamborghini, some Subarus and brothers on motorbikes as family and friends came out with balloons and banners with Jake watching on with mum Grace and little brother Korie (four). There was even a visit from Spider-Man.

Jake had major open heart surgery aged just two-days-old, then again at four months before a third Norwood procedure at three-years-old.

Nobody knows what the future holds for him but he makes sure he lives life to the full.

The birthday drive-by bash idea came after Darren went to a similar event for a child in Rushden and took Jake with him.

They are already wondering how they can top his birthday next year and hope to do it again.

Darren, a security worker, added: "He said it was the best birthday ever.

"It definitely brought a tear to my eye to see how many people made such an effort."