Nine-year-old Luke Biggs is one of the first patients to use the Oxford Children's Hospital - and now his family is getting ready to raise money for the state-of-the-art building.

Although he is still in hospital, suffering from complications following a bowel transplant, his family hope he will be up and about in time for a table-top sale they are holding in aid of Chox in the spring.

Luke, who lives with his mum and dad, Karen and Ian, and older brother Adam, 12, in Alexander Close, Abingdon, was born with agangliosis of the bowel.

The condition left the Dunmore School pupil with a short intestine that was unable to properly absorb nutrients from the food he ate.

As a result, he had three operations within weeks of his birth, and spent much of his first eight years living at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Headington.

Although his new bowel is fine, doctors have discovered he is not absorbing fats properly, which are leaking around his heart and lungs.

As a result, he spent a fortnight at the Children's Hospital, before being transferred to specialists in Birmingham.

His grandmother, Margaret Biggs, said: "When he was admitted to the Oxford Children's Hospital it was the first time in 13 months that he had been in hospital, and he's been doing brilliantly. All the staff up there are fantastic, and the new hospital is excellent and makes the care even more wonderful.

"Everyone is so good to Luke - even the hospital teachers, who have worked with his school to make sure that, even though he missed so much time in class, he's been able to go back without a hitch."

The Biggs are holding the table top sale in Kennington village hall on Saturday, May 24, from 10am to noon, and it will include stalls selling cakes, new and nearly new items, and refreshments.

Mrs Biggs said: "Luke is actually in fine form, although he's on a very low fat diet as a result of his condition. He's quite well in himself and we're hoping that once the doctors have sorted him out he'll be able to come home in time for the sale.

"We asked him who he wanted to raise money for and he said the children's hospital."

Tables cost £5. Anyone who would like one should call Mrs Biggs on 01865 730353.