Kirsty Howard was born in 1995 with a rare inoperable heart condition - her heart is back to front, so that all her other organs are misplaced and she has only a single pumping heart chamber. Kirsty has had nine cardiac procedures and her day-to-day living is severely restricted by abnormal blood vessels developing in her lung.
In February 1999, she was given only six weeks to live but is still today the figurehead for Kirsty's Appeal..
In 2001, Kirsty was the mascot for the 2002 World Cup qualifying match between England and Greece. Commentator John Motson called her "the bravest person on the pitch", as she accompanied David Beckham onto the pitch with her 20 kg oxygen tank.
Her condition is inoperable, and requires extensive treatment, including a constant oxygen supply. Kirsty is the only person in the UK, and only the second in the world, diagnosed with this condition; the condition is reportedly so rare that it does not have a name.