Steven Rose and Donna Milligan lost Ben, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), in November. He was just eight months old.

Ben had spent most of his short life in hospital undergoing various operations, including 11 open heart surgeries, in a bid to save his life.

Now Steven (30) has given up his job as an electrician to become a retained firefighter and Donna plans to train as a paediatric intensive care nurse.

Steven said: "We both really wanted to give something back to the community so Ben didn't die in vain.

"After losing him I felt the only way I could get back to work was by helping other people.

"Before Ben died we were happily plodding along, paying the bills. I was working all the hours God sent, hardly seeing Matthew.

"Something like this really does make you realise what's important.

"Since I gave up my job I have been able to dedicate a lot more time to Matthew."

After three months of training Steven is now a fully qualified firefighter.

He said: "I am really chuffed. If I save one person's life in 20 years I will be happy."

Before Ben died Donna (28) was a full-time mum to him and brother Matthew (2).

She now works at Nutten Stoven Residential Care Home in Holbeach but has applied to do a nursing degree.

Steven added: "We spent so much time in hospitals watching the nurses, who do a fantastic job, that Donna decided that that is what she wants to do.

"We want to be able to make a really bad situation that little bit more bearable for someone else, just like the nurses did for us.

"We would not have got through it without the support we received from so many people."