A Llechryd father-of-three will today (Wednesday) stage a protest at the National Assembly over plans to close the paediatric neuro-surgery unit at Morriston Hospital.

Steven Sullivan fears the closure will put hundreds of local children at risk, including his six-year-old son Kieran who suffers from a rare brain condition which can only be treated by specialist neuro-surgeons.

"For children like Kieran, the journey to Cardiff could mean the difference between life and death," said Mr Sullivan of 14 Glannant, Llechryd. "Last July Kieran became ill and was in danger of falling into a coma. Fortunately we were able to get him to Morriston in time but to have driven that extra hour to Cardiff could have proved fatal."

Kieran has been treated at Morriston since he was born with hydrocephulus, a condition which causes fluid on the brain. To drain off this excess fluid, a 'shunt' or valve has been inserted into his skull which extracts the liquid and sends it down to his stomach via a tube. Despite his debilitating illness Kieran attends Llechryd primary school and plays an active part in a full range of activities. "The only difference is that he's very prone to headaches," explained Steven Sullivan. "These are a constant worry for us because we're never sure how serious they'll turn out to be. Because of the nature of his illness someone has to be with Kieran all the time. This inevitably affects our other children, particularly Lucy who suffers from cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound."

Although Kieran only attends the unit once a year for his annual check-up, his father knows that in the case of an emergency Morriston Hospital is relatively close to hand.

Now he has until October 11 to convince Welsh Assembly Health Minister Jane Hutt of the unit's worth. Meanwhile Steven Sullivan remains confident that his protest will be widely supported by parents from all over Wales. A petition has been signed by over 96,000 names and the Swansea-based South Wales Evening Post is staging a campaign to keep the unit open.