New classroom to open for Birmingham boy with half a heart

BBC News

18-07-2025

A school is opening a new classroom to enable a boy who was born with half a heart to have lessons with the rest of his class.Vinnie, from St Alban's Catholic Primary School in Kings Heath, Birmingham, has a complex congenital heart condition, where one side of his heart did not develop fully in the womb.He needed a downstairs classroom at the school to be able to stay with his friends, who would otherwise move upstairs into a juniors classroom - but it costs £80,000 to build a new portable classroom.After a massive fundraising effort, £88,000 was raised and the portable classroom has been built and will be unveiled on Friday.
St Alban's headteacher Rebecca McKinney, who started the fundraiser, told BBC Radio WM: "It's been such a long journey since last July when it was a little dream of ours because we were so worried Vinnie wouldn't be with his class, so we decided to think big."Without the classroom, Vinnie has had to work in small groups downstairs while the rest of his class worked upstairs.To reach the upstairs classrooms, Vinnie would have to climb two flights of stairs, which a cardiologist and heart charities have told his family would significantly impact his health.
When asked if the possibility of Vinnie moving to another school had ever been considered, Mrs McKinney said to Vinnie: "It wasn't on the cards for you, we said absolutely not, we can't lose Vinnie."She added: "We know his mum also felt so passionately about Vinnie staying at our school because we know how to take care of him. "It's a gift that Vinnie comes here to school every day - not many children with his condition are full time at school - so it's so amazing Vinnie is."
The new classroom is set to open on Friday, with Prof Carl Chinn attending to officially open the classroom, which will be in use in September when the new school year begins.It has a ramp, a toilet, and a sensory room for when Vinnie feels tired and needs to rest.When asked what a difference the new classroom would make to him, Vinnie said: "It will [mean] I can be with all my friends and learn all the things they're doing at the same time."I like all the teachers and friends and I like all the lessons we do."
One of the fundraisers who helped the school reach the target was seven-year-old Bertie, a Year Two pupil at the school."I've been making some designs of football and basketball cards. I sold them at Villa Park and in the school," Bertie told BBC Radio WM.Bertie's efforts raised £5,000 for the appeal, leading the school to nominate him for the West Midlands Lieutenancy Award, with him receiving the Young Citizen's award on Monday.
Mrs McKinney also thanked the many people and businesses who gave their services for free, including project manager John Puttenam and 3D Facilities Management.The headteacher said: "It's been a massive community effort. It's really rebuilds our faith in people and the community."
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.