JAMIE Bucknell was a special young man. The fulsome tributes paid to him by his family and many friends spoke of a generous, lively and popular boy, known for his "amazing smile and infectious laugh".

His sudden death from a heart attack, at the age of 14, shattered all those who knew him. Scenes of almost unbearable grief at his funeral revealed how much love there was for Jamie.

Today we launch an appeal in his name, as a lasting tribute to this remarkable teenager.

Jamie's Have A Heart Appeal aims to raise £7,500 to pay for 12 new cardiac event monitors.

These monitors can be taken home by people with heart problems. They record readings that can be downloaded at the hospital to allow doctors to make an instant assessment.

In other words, they are life-savers.

Jamie's family are backing the campaign and have opened the account with a substantial donation. Jamie's school, Huntington, wants to do all it can and has already held one fund-raising event.

Doctors at York District Hospital are also fully behind the campaign. The 12 new monitors will replace six 15-year-old ones, and will "make a huge difference to the lives of people with heart conditions," the head of the cardio respiratory department said today.

We never fail to be amazed by the generosity of our readers. Today we are asking for your help once again for this very worthwhile cause.

Please do whatever you can to support Jamie's Have A Heart Appeal.

The sooner we reach the total, the sooner these 12 monitors can start helping to save lives.

There could be no better memorial for Jamie Bucknell, a young man who loved life.

Updated: 10:14 Thursday, November 29, 2001