A BRAVE two-year-old Basingstoke boy with a very rare form of liver disease will be the youngest competitor in this weekend's British Transplant Games.

Jonathan Cowdrey, of Gander Drive, Basingstoke, has undergone two major operations in his short lifetime after being born with biliary artresia - a condition that affects one in 16,000 children.

Having undergone a transplant, he has been invited to compete in the games held in Leeds over four days and sponsored by the Children's Liver Disease Foundation.

Jonathan will take part in the 50 metres track event, the ball throw and obstacle race.

His mother Sharon said: "To look at him you would not think anything is wrong with him."

She added: "I don't think I could cope as well as he does. He's a very strong and determined little boy. He just fights through it all."

Jonathan's first operation took place when he was five weeks old. He had surgery on his bile ducts which were damaged around the time of his birth, affecting his liver.

Unfortunately, the operation was not successful and Jonathan had to have a transplant in October, 1999.

Sharon said: "It was awful. They can never tell you it's successful. He is not cured, he's just had his quality of life improved."

Jonathan's condition means that he needs to take a strict regime of drugs at certain times of the day for the rest of his life.

A side effect of one of the drugs is that his immune system is suppressed. Whereas a normal child picks up a cold, Jonathan would fall ill with the flu.

One drug is so strong that Jonathan's parents have to wear surgical masts and gloves so it does not suppress their immune system.

But despite all Jonathan's health problems he is looking forward to a weekend away with his family and taking part in the games.

Sharon said: "It will be nice to be in a situation where everyone is in the same boat as us."

She added: "We would not have got through without the support of the local hospital and both sets of parents."