Brave four-year-old with rare heart condition given special certificate

A four-year-old boy with a rare heart condition has been presented with a certificate by the Chief Constable during a special visit to Staffordshire Police Headquarters (HQ) yesterday (15 February).

Lennie Eyre, aged four, from Winshill, Burton, was joined by his mum Laura, brother Kincaid and sister Hayley, on the visit to the force’s Weston Road site on Tuesday.

During his time at HQ, officers from the dog support and drone units introduced Lennie to an array of specialist police gadgets while Chief Constable Chris Noble presented the toddler with an Honorary Superintendent Certificate.

Lennie and his family were given a live drone demonstration and had the chance to meet a fully-qualified police dog, who took down a decoy ‘criminal’ for Lennie’s viewing pleasure.

“He sat in bed afterwards reliving the whole thing!” said Lennie’s mum, Laura.

“His favourite part was seeing the dog catch a bad guy and locking his brother in the back of a police van.

“Lennie spend two years in Birmingham Children’s Hospital from December 2019 to October 2021. He’s always loved playing dress up and one of his favourite outfits was his police uniform. He would regularly patrol the ward and arrest anyone who misbehaved!”

She added: “The visit to HQ was an amazing experience and I can’t thank those involved enough. He hasn’t stopped talking about it!”

The brave four-year-old battles a condition called CCTGA (Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries), which reverses the lower part of his heart.

The “warrior”, as his mom describes, underwent open-heart surgery at just four-months-old, with a second procedure taking place in May 2019.

“We were delighted to be able to welcome Lennie and give him a demonstration of some of the gadgets here at HQ,” said Sergeant Mat Butterworth.

“Seeing how much he enjoyed being around the officers and the dogs really lifted our spirits and we would like to commemorate him on his bravery and enthusiasm.”

“Lennie and his family will always be welcome here at Staffordshire Police.”