London: Jay Sharma, a seven-year-old Indian origin boy based in Leicestershire has hit the headlines by taking on the challenge of scaling a peak in Scotland to raise funds for a charity organisation, in spite of undergoing three major heart surgeries.
Jay and his father Sanjesh Sharma, 39, are planning to climb Ben Nevis, Scotland`s biggest mountain, in the spring, and raise 5000 pounds for the Heart Link charity organisation based in Leicester.
"We both like the outdoors and Jay is incredibly active and so it just seemed to make sense to do something like this.

I think it will take us the best part of a day, and I have mapped in a few breaks. Obviously if Jay needs some help I will be there but it is just amazing how much energy he has," Sanjesh told the media in Leicester.

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Jay, a pupil at the Merton Primary School in Syston, said he was looking forward to his adventure: "It will be good. I think the best bit will be when we are coming down."

Sanjesh and his wife Leeann were told about Jay`s heart condition when she was about 20-weeks pregnant.

"We were told Jay had a serious heart condition and there was a question over whether to continue with the pregnancy. But we did, knowing that soon after he was born Jay would have to undergo surgery to save his life," Sanjesh said.

Jay, who had a ventricle in his heart missing, underwent an operation at six weeks, reports said. It was followed by two open heart surgeries-- when he was a year old-- and a second when he was four, in which surgeons paved a way to circulate blood around his body.

"The last operation has given him a new lease of life. He rarely gets tired and just enjoys doing everything. He wanted to do something to help others like him and we sat down and thought of things and decided on this," his father said.

PTI