Smiling youngster Owen Brear splashes in the sun as his family’s dream to see him swim with dolphins finally becomes reality.

The 12-year-old, from near Featherstone in the UK – who battled back from the brink of death after a heart transplant at age five realised his dream in Malta at the end of a mammoth fundraising campaign by local people.

Generous residents in Owen’s home town raised £12,850 for the trip-of-a-lifetime to help the blind and partially deaf teen with his disabilities.

Owen’s proud mum, Ruth said: “Seeing Owen swim with dolphins was a fantastic moment that we will always treasure.”

“He absolutely loved it – the only problem was it didn’t last long enough for him. The dolphin trainers were brilliant and made sure he was ok.”

Courageous Owen, a pupil at Crofton High School, was diagnosed with the severe heart condition cardiomyopathy, which inflames the heart and stopped it functioning properly when he was two.

After an agonising two-year wait for a transplant, a suitable donor was found but, following surgery at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, Owen’s body started to fail and doctors had to fight for 48 hours to save him.

In 2007 regulars at The Cross Keys pub in Old Snydale raised £1,300 towards his trip in a music and auction night which kick-started a wave of fundraising events across the district.

Grateful Ruth praised everyone who had boosted Owen’s fund.

She added: “What has happened over the past years has been unbelievable. Without everyone’s amazing help we would never have been able to make Owen’s dream come true as there’s no way we could have afforded it.”

“We want to thank everyone who helped us because we are so grateful – I just can’t thank them enough. There is some money left which Owen will use for things that he needs as he grows up.”