Poorly Owen's charity cash stolen in burglary

Around £800 in cash, which was to be donated to Birmingham Children's Hospital and the British Heart Foundation, was taken by the thieves along with other items during the raid.

The money had been raised by 10-year-old Owen Steatham and his family after he suffered a heart attack in January, aged just nine.

The Uplands Manor pupil, from Parsons Hill in Oldbury, suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited disease of the heart muscle where the wall of the heart becomes thickened.

It is the same condition suffered by Fabrice Muamba, the Bolton football player who collapsed on the pitch at Tottenham's White Hart Lane. His heart stopped for an hour but medics were able to restart it.

Since young Owen's heart attack his family have been raising money to say thank you to those who saved his life, but received the set-back after the burglary.

Dad David, aged 33, said: "We went to bed at 11pm on Thursday, and when we got up in the morning my car was gone off the drive, which was a new Audi, and laptops, iPads and some jewellery had been taken along with the money.

"We raised around £800 selling T-shirts designed by Antics Dance Group to support our campaign, and we were due to hand over the money on the Friday.

"You try and do something good because of the care he had, and then something else happens - it's like it never stops.

"Owen is obviously distressed about it, but he is chuffed that his iPad was upstairs so he didn't lose that. He's a bit worried and panicked, he's thinking to himself that they might come back. His brother Riley is the same."

The police are now appealing for information about the burglary.

West Midlands Police spokeswoman Catherine Hickman said: "Inquiries are underway and police urge anyone with information to help their inquiry to call Force CID in Harborne by dialling 101."

After his heart attack in January Owen was in intensive care for eight days at Birmingham Children's Hospital, and on a ward for a total of 18 days, and has been in and out since.

He now has small defibrillator attached to his heart which will restart it should it stop, and he had another attack in March shortly after his birthday.

The family have since been raising cash to say thank you to the hospital for saving his life, and are hoping to reach £11,500 which they will split equally between the two charities.

The have a charity football match and skydive arranged, as well as a community fun day at Smethwick Cricket Club on July 6 from 10am to 4.30pm, including music, stalls, dance performances, a bouncy castle and food.

They have also set up a fundraising group on Facebook, called 'Owen's fight for every heart beat'.