IT IS any little boy’s dream – to walk out on to the hallowed turf of Wembley alongside your footballing heroes.
So Hampshire’s Aaron Prior will be the envy of thousands of youngsters when he steps out alongside John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and company this afternoon.
The seven-year-old from Locks Heath will be the centre of attention for 90,000 football fans as England face Slovakia in an international friendly.
It will be a moment to cherish for proud parents Sam and Paul who have had to watch their brave boy battle against heart failure, undergoing his first of four major open-heart surgeries aged just four days.
Aaron, of Elder Close, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which means that he is missing the left ventricle muscle that pumps oxygenated blood around his body.
Despite endless hospital appointments and the prospect of a heart transplant when he is a teenager, Aaron has not let it stop him becoming a star for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
He has fronted a national campaign for the charity and was named a BHF Heart Hero.
The dream day for Aaron, along with mum Sam, dad Paul and little brother Jadon, five, was made possible after the Football Association, which runs the England team, chose the BHF as its official charity.
Sam, who will be watching proudly in the stands, said: “We are all so excited. It’s the ultimate dream.
“We just have to cherish moments like these, moments that we will have forever because we just don’t know what will happen next and although we hope and pray for the best, we do know he will eventually need a transplant.
“There are a lot of normal everyday things he can’t do, including playing football, which he desperately wants to do like his little brother can, so these extra-special treats kind of make up for that.
“When I see him out there with the England team I will be so proud and probably in tears.”
Aaron, a Tottenham fan, said: “I am really excited. I cannot wait to meet all the England players and be a mascot.”
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