ALLERFORD hotelier Marianne Guest has spoken of the "greatest gift" she was given by leading heart surgeons who saved her son's life on New Year's Day.

Her son, Stephen Hardy, of Porlock, took his first steps on Wednesday following a pioneering operation to have a mechanical pump inserted into his heart at London's Harefield Heart Hospital.

He was only the 15th person in the country to have the pump, fitted by world-famous surgeon Sir Madgi Yacoub, after his heart was attacked by a deadly virus.

He spent Christmas, his 30th birthday on December 30 and New Year in hospital but was said to feel extremely lucky to be alive.

Marianne said she could not thank the hospital staff enough for all they had done for Stephen and she was counting the days until he was allowed home.

"I am very grateful to all their efforts and I was impressed with their professionalism and the way they were so caring.

"Spending time at the hospital was very revealing because you feel so very appreciative of their terrific humanity.

"Stephen is making progress after opening his eyes this week and has even taken his first steps, but it is still early days and the progress will be slow."

Doctors have not told Stephen or his family when he can go home because he still needs time to recover from the operation.

It is still unclear whether he will need a heart transplant in the future because the battery-powered pump could allow his weakened heart time to make a full recovery.

Marianne, who celebrated her birthday on Sunday, said the relatives of other patients had been a great comfort to her because they knew how she and Stephen's father, Mike Hardy, were feeling and they were able to draw strength from each other.

And Marianne revealed yesterday (Thursday) that she is planning to take part in a march to Downing Street to protest against proposals to move the Harefield Heart Hospital to Paddington.

"Stephen has asked me to take part in the march so I am going to do it. It is for a very good cause and it is very special to me. Sir Madgi Yacoub will also be there because he is against the move to close the hospital as well."

On Sunday Marianne learned that two heart transplants had been carried out at Harefield: "When I heard of the two operations I thought that was the best present I could ever want. Knowing two people are being given a chance in life is wonderful.

"To donate your heart is one of the most special gifts you can ever give and I recommend anyone to carry a donor card," she said.