A BOY'S love of theatre will live on in his schoolmates.

Luke Fellows died a year ago, having spent most of his short life battling a debilitating heart condition. Later this month, his parents will be laying on a special drama workshop for pupils at St Francis Special School in Fareham.

Hilary and Stephen Fellows, of Hazel Grove, Locks Heath, wanted to sponsor an event in memory of their son who died just before his 16th birthday last December.

They were moved by a performance of The Smallest Person, which shows how the least listened to people in society can find a voice, when the Trestle Theatre Company visited Fareham recently.

Now 22 pupils are looking forward to a visit by actors and a practical drama session using masks and puppets on Thursday, January 27.

Hilary said: "Luke used to love live theatre and music and anything like that. We always took him to the pantomime and all the shows.

"When we went to see The Smallest Person we thought about him. He would have loved the masks and puppets and it struck a chord with us.

"I hope the children will enjoy it and get a lot out of it."

The youngster, who had so impressed his family, friends, fellow pupils and even doctors with his fighting spirit and will to live, died in his sleep of heart failure.

Luke had a perfectly functioning heart when he was born with Down's Syndrome, but two years later he was diagnosed with leukaemia.

He was given a 30 per cent chance of survival but after six months of treatment he was given the all-clear. However, shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy - a disease of the heart muscle which causes the heart to become weak and unable to pump blood normally.

The couple had previously bought a hoist for use at the school in Patchway Drive, off Oldbury Way.

Luke's father Stephen, a dentist, raised thousands of pounds for medical research when he ran the London Marathon in aid of the Cardiomyopathy Association.