A CHARITY worker is selling his family heirlooms to fund lifesaving heart surgery for a ten-year-old Romanian orphan.

Rod Jones, who runs the charity Convoy Aid, is selling two gold watches and a gold ring left to him in his father's will to help pay the £500 bill for the operation.

Maria Chisca has a defective heart and will die in two or three weeks if she does not have new heart valves.

Doctors at the cardiology centre in the north-eastern town of Iasi say they will carry out the surgery free, but need £500 for the valves.

Moved by her plight, Mr Jones has pledged to raise the money, buy the valves and ship them to Romania.

Mr Jones said: "I know my father left me this jewellery in his will, but what is that compared to the life of a ten-year-old girl?

"I have the blessing of the rest of my family to do this, I think my father would have approved.

"I have got no children now so I have got no one left to leave them to anyway.

"If this child is to have any chance of surviving, she needs the heart valves in two or three weeks.

"When I get the money, I will send them out to her hospital. It is the least I could do."

Maria is one of hundreds of Romanian orphans that Convoy Aid sends donations and supplies to every year.

One of Mr Jones' watches is Swiss-made, from London firm JW Benson.

It has the message "made by warrant to the Queen and Prince of Wales" engraved on it.

The other watch is described as a US-made traveller from Waltham.

Anyone interested in buying the jewellery or pledging money to the cause is asked to contact Mr Jones on 07876 077110.