THE mother and father of teenager Jamie Bucknell have said a big thank you to everyone who has so far helped or donated to the Jamie's Have a Heart Appeal.

And they have urged people to keep the donations coming, as the appeal total went over the £4,000 mark only a week after it was launched. The target is £7,500.

Handing their own £500 donation to the fund, Jamie's mother Debbie Bucknell, of Strensall, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the response there has been and the amount that has been raised.

"Both Keith and I are really touched by the way the people of York have reacted to the appeal - to raise this much so soon is brilliant.

"Hopefully the donations will keep coming and the target can be reached quickly - the sooner the monitors have been bought and are available for people to use, the better." The appeal was launched in memory of 14-year-old Jamie, who died last month due to a heart problem during a lesson at Huntington School, in York.

The aim is to pay for 12 portable heart monitors, which cost about £650 each, and which would be kept at York District Hospital.

They would then be loaned to people with heart problems, who can use them to gather data which doctors can use when deciding on their treatment.

Anyone who would like to donate, or is organising a fundraising event, should contact Emma Harrison or Richard Edwards on 01904 653051 or email emma.harrison@ycp.co.uk or richard.edwards@ycp.co.uk

Donations should be sent to either reporter and will be paid into a special bank account set up for the appeal. Cheques should be made out to Jamie's Have a Heart Appeal.

Updated: 12:10 Friday, December 07, 2001