YOU spoke – and they listened.

Last night the hopes of 250,000 people who signed the Daily Echo’s Have a Heart petition came true.

Health chiefs delivered their decision on the future of children’s heart surgery in Southampton – and it was a huge vote of confidence in the life-saving work of medical staff at the city unit.

The reprieve was welcomed by campaigners and mdical staff who had fought for nearly 18 months to secure the surgical centre’s future.

Last February the unit was given just a 25 per cent chance of survival as NHS bosses looked to cut the UK’s 11 units down to six or seven.

However campaigners never gave us the battle which culminated in the Daily Echo heading to Downing Street to hand over its 250,000-signature petition last June.

TO READ MORE ON THE BATTLE TO SAVE THE HEART UNIT CLICK THE LINK