A BOY of five has been chosen as the face of a national drive to support heart research.

Rio Bisram from Hove and his mother Sacha are urging people to throw their support behind the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Wear it. Beat it. campaign.

This asks people to wear red and hold a fundraising event for the charity on June 9.

The aim is to raise £1million for life saving research into heart disease.

Rio was born with a rare form of congenital heart disease and doctors said he was unlikely to survive.

The condition means the right ventricle hasn’t fully developed so the heart struggles to pump blood to the lungs and the body.

His heart also points toward the right side of his chest instead of the left and his abdominal organs are located on the opposite side of his body.

After undergoing three life saving operations, the first at just six-days-old, Rio has beaten the odds.

However with no cure, Rio is only expected to live into his 30’s. Research is the only answer to give Rio the best chance possible to lead a full and long life.

Ms Bisram, 26, said: “ Rio loved taking part in the photoshoot for Wear it. Beat it.

“The BHF is a charity that’s important to us as if it wasn’t for the charity’s vital research, my little boy may not be here today.

“I was devastated when I was told that Rio might not make it through the night when he was first born and I couldn’t even hold him for the first two weeks of his life.

“It didn’t feel real but I had to stay strong for Rio.

“His lips were blue, he looked swollen and as he got older kept trying to rip the feeding tubes out of his nose.

“All I could do was be by his side.

“He’s now much healthier but doctors have warned me it’s unlikely he will live past 30.

“However thanks to the BHF, I’m confident that more treatments will be discovered.

“I have to remain optimistic that a discovery will be made.”

Heart and circulatory disease is responsible for about 160,000 deaths in the UK each year – around one every three minutes.

The BHF funds new research central to discovering vital treatments for people living with these conditions.

People signing up to the campaign can choose to go all out or just wear a splash of red.

Last year more than 15,000 people took part in Wear it. Beat it. and raised more than £750,000.

The charity is hoping to raise even more in 2017.

Sign up by visiting wearitbeatit.bhf.org.uk or call 0300 330 0645 for a free fundraising pack full of ideas about how to get involved.