A TODDLER has been able to go home to Bournemouth for the first time in months after he was given a life-saving heart transplant.

Little Oscar Dunkley, who is still just 20 months old, nearly died several times as he suffered with dilated cardiomyopathy – meaning parts of the heart are enlarged and the organ cannot pump blood properly.

He has spent much of his young life at Southampton General Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London after falling ill when he was four months old.

In January, Oscar’s mum Abbie Burkmar spoke to the Daily Echo of the need to get more parents to register their children as organ donors.

Yesterday, she said: “We still can’t really believe it all.

“There are still some issues, but Oscar is so much better. It’s been absolutely amazing.”

Abbie backs Max’s Law, which would change the rules on organ donation by presuming consent for donation unless people specifically opt out.

She said many parents “don’t really talk about organ donation”, and people “rarely sign their children up for it”.

“We’re still going to keep on raising awareness of how important this is,” she said.

“We want to keep sharing our story so people have a chance to see how it can change lives.”

When Oscar first fell ill as a baby, doctors initially suspected he had bronchitis.

However, when he failed to get better, he was sent for tests. These revealed Oscar was having heart failure.

Abbie, her partner Josh Dunkley and the couple’s eldest son Jack spent more than a year at the tot’s bedside.

However, Oscar has now been able to return home as he is no longer being fed through a tube. He was given his new heart during an eight-hour operation at Great Ormond Street.

Abbie said Oscar’s transplant is bittersweet as “another family has lost their child”. The tot has made great strides since the operation was carried out.

“We still have a few issues and of course he’s on medication, but it’s a lot better than it was,” Abbie said.

“We can do normal things as a family again. He’s still physically behind other children of his age, but he’s catching up.

“The first night we had him home was really quite scary. We were watching over him to make sure he was ok.”

Oscar had the same condition as 10-year-old Max Johnson. Max’s life was saved after the family of Keira Ball, nine and of Barnstaple, Devon, made the decision to donate her organs following her death in a car crash.

Doctors use drug milrinone to treat the condition. It allows blood to flow more easily through veins and reduces pressure on the heart.

Last year, 426 patients – including 17 children – died while on the transplant waiting list.