RELATIVES of a six-week-old baby boy who has a rare chromosome condition last night pleaded for surgeons to perform open heart surgery on the child.

So far specialists have refused to carry out the operation on tiny Luke Winston-Jones, from Holyhead, Anglesey who was born five weeks premature, because he has Edwards syndrome, which in 19 out of 20 cases means a child will die before their first birthday.

Luke, who weighed 3lbs 8oz when he was born at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, was last night in the hospital's special care baby unit, with his mother, Ruth, 34, at his bedside.

Born through emergency section, Luke has undergone treatment at both Alder Hey and the Liverpool Women's Hospital on Merseyside, where doctors found he has three instead of two chromosomes 18, which can lead to multiple malformations.

His mum said: "I just want Luke to be given a chance of life. I just hope somebody out there can help. He looks strong, breathes on his own and deserves a chance. He was born with three holes in his heart and two of them have healed by themselves."

In a statement to the Daily Post, Alder Hey confirmed Luke had been diagnosed with Edwards syndrome.

"Unfortunately children with this syndrome very rarely survive for more than a few weeks or months. In addition to this, he has a very serious heart condition.

"Having discussed his care in detail with his family, we did not want to put Luke through such a major heart operation which would be very traumatic for him.

"The cardiac team advised them that it was their right to seek opinions from other cardiac centres, although we felt that other centres will take a similar view to our own."

Ysbyty Gwynedd communication manager Alan Parry said: "Luke was transferred to Ysbyty Gwynedd on March 5. Since he arrived his mother has expressed her wish for him to be operated on. We are attempting to assist in finding a specialist cardiac centre who are willing and able to undertake the surgery."

Edwards syndrome is named after the British physician and genetisist John Edwards who discovered the extra chromsome in 1960.