THE efforts of two brave city children battling serious illness has inspired one father to set up a charity to help them and other children like them.

Father-of-two Andy Kirk, of Worcester, is in the process of setting up the Little Soldiers charity to support the cardiac ward at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, which allows parents to stay overnight at no cost allowing them to be near their sick children.

The 29-year-old, a loss prevention investigator for TK Maxx in Worcester High Street, said: “Due to some of the charity work I’ve done this year and the misfortune of some close friends’ children, I’ve started up my own charity called Little Soldiers.

“Little Soldiers was mainly started because of two young children – Noah Freeman, who was born with heart problems, and Billy Tyler, who in February had a tumour removed from his brain and is now having treatment.

“I am currently looking at bulk buying wrist bands for LS and we’re linking up with some large event companies over the next few months.

“I also have some sports friends, one of whom is a boxer and he is having the LS logo printed on his shorts.”

Your Worcester News has already featured Noah Freeman, the miracle baby who survived respiratory arrest on November 9 last year thanks to superb care.

Noah, who will celebrate his first birthday on May 31, is now doing well and dad Lee Freeman, aged 25, of Trout Beck Drive, Worcester, said Noah was getting stronger every day.

“It’s great to see the effort Andy has put in. He said he was touched by it all and he’d seen the pictures on Facebook and asked if he could do anything to support Noah.

“He said he had an idea to put a charity together. It’s really good and really appreciated.”

We reported last month how two-year-old Billy Tyler was battling back to health after surgery to remove a brain tumour.

A Facebook group called Little Soldiers has more than 1,000 members from all over the UK.

Mr Kirk has known Billy Tyler’s parents all his life and is now in the process of having his charity formally registered.

He worked with Noah Free-man’s father in Worcester’s Tramps nightclub, where donations can still be made to Bir-mingham Children’s Hospital charities.

Mr Kirk said: “The reason I chose to support both charities was that I believe they go hand in hand.

“A child’s recovery is better if their parents are there. A child is completely defenceless. All they know is love and they don’t really understand hate.

“For things to happen to them at such a young age – that really got to me.”