THE family of a talented musician who lost his battle against a heart condition have vowed to continue his work in promoting organ donation.

Andrew Wilson, aged 27, from Bradlegh Road in Newton, was one of the first child heart transplant patients in the world.

He spent his last weeks at Harefield Hospital in Middlesex, where he had a pacemaker fitted four weeks ago, but died with his family by his side on Thursday morning from coronary heart disease, after struggling with the condition all year.

His father, Bryan Wilson, said: "The shock was unbelievable.

"He was a well-loved lad and always very positive. It is a massive loss."

The passionate Liverpool fan, who appeared with his heroes as a mascot after his operation, had lived in Newton all his life.

His father said: "He would always say that he lived at home because 'girls would just take my money off me'.

"His music was his life, playing on his keyboard and he loved singing."

Andrew's family intends to have his songs recorded to continue his work and perhaps hold a memorial concert.

Andrew wrote a song called Gift of Life, with which he hoped to raise awareness of the need for organ donation.

Family friends have also offered to help launch the website that he designed, Transplant United, which features a collection of his experiences and those of his friends.

Andrew contracted meningitis that damaged his heart muscles as a baby and at the age of nine received a heart transplant, donated by a young Scottish girl named Samantha Dawkins.

The nine-hour operation was a success and at the time made the pair the world's youngest domino heart transplant patients.

His donor Samantha suffered from a virus and died a day after her 17th birthday.

Her family intends to travel from Southampton to Andrew's funeral, which will be held on Monday, July 18 at Wargrave Emmanuel Church at 10am.

Speaking to the Guardian last month, Andrew said: "I hope to get the message of the need for donors across through a song.

"People think of doctors as vultures trying to get organs, but if you tell your loved ones beforehand that you wish to donate, they don't have to go through the grief of having to decide. It is so important.

"My life before the transplant was just an existence, I could hardly do anything."

Anyone interested in finding out more about the importance of organ donation and heart transplants and how to help, can log on to the website www.heart-transplant.co.uk or the British Heart Foundation website at www.bhf.org.uk