A REMARKABLE "little fighter" who battled against the odds to survive has been nominated to be a Christmas Star.

Tot Rowan Peri was on a life support machine for seven weeks at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital at the start of 2016, after suffering with a respiratory syncytial virus. There were further issues when the Barrow child suffered from a bug.

Rowan was receiving 100 per cent support and it was touch and go for the then eight-month-old's survival.

Medics had told his parents they had done everything in their powers, but incredibly the youngster pulled through.

The plucky youngster, who has Down's syndrome, is now 19 months old.

Rowan has a congenital heart defect but recent tests have shown that the hole in his heart has reduced. He will eventually require an operation on his heart. The youngster has medication to help him fight off other possible infections.

Rowan was poorly for his first Christmas so his family are looking for this Christmas to be a special one.

He was nominated to be an Evening Mail Christmas Star by his sister Natasha McKeever, 18.

Miss McKeever said: "I want to nominate Rowan because he has been through so much for the little time he has been with us and he is a little superstar.

"At the start of this year he got rushed to Manchester Children's Hospital with RSV. When he arrived there he got put on a life support machine and he was sedated and paralysed. The whole family were so scared but the Manchester hospital staff were great.

"They did all the could for my little brother to the point they said they couldn't do anymore.

"He finally pulled through it all. We were all so grateful that we had our little fighter back.

"He is such a loving little boy. He is our little fighter and he is getting stronger every day and he is loved by so many. We could go out shopping and get stopped at least 10 times by people because he is always smiling."

The Evening Mail has again team up with Barrow's Heath's Toymaster to honour courageous and selfless children in our communities.

The Christmas Star winners receive a surprise visit at home from Father Christmas who presents them with beautiful toys courtesy of Heath's in Dalton Road. We also host a special Christmas gathering with Father Christmas for nominated children.

Nominations for Christmas Stars 2016 are open to children up to 13 years old who are from across Furness, Millom, Ulverston and the south Lakes.

Children can be nominated by filling out the digital form at nwemail.co.uk or by using the coupons printed in the Evening Mail.

This year nominations close on Friday December 16.