Nine months ago, four-year-old Govinda was terribly ill and in constant and severe pain.

Today he is a healthy, happy child living in one of the ISIS foster homes in Nepal.

When the ISIS Foundation first met Govinda he was living with a child trafficker under appalling conditions.

Leonie Exel, ISIS general manager, said: "He was sickly with a chest infection and in constant pain.

"Doctors discovered that he had a very large hole in his heart, limiting his oxygen intake and depleting his immune system."

She said Govinda needed immediate surgery to repair the hole.

"The surgery was an extremely high risk procedure and doctors warned that he may not survive the operation.

"On the other hand if nothing was done he would live for ? perhaps ? another six years, with his heart deteriorating monthly, and dying a painful death."

Govinda had the operation on December 1, 2005.

"Words cannot express how happy and relieved we were when we heard Govinda had survived the operation.

"Govinda is healthy, has lots of energy and is always in high spirits. It is hard to believe that he was so ill a few months ago," she added.