THE family of a schoolboy who died while ice-skating are launching a petition to change the law in his memory and potentially save thousands of lives.

Jayden Orr's parents Kathleen and John are asking the people of Inverclyde to show their support for Jayden's Law, which would mean life-saving defibrillators would be fitted in every new building in Scotland over the size of 7,500sq feet.

With the full backing of local MSP Stuart McMillan, they are set to take the landmark legal change bid to the Scottish Parliament.

A proposed new law in Jayden's name would mean that all new shopping centres, hotels, sports centres, residential blocks of flats and large workplaces must have a working life-saving device on the premises.

Talented ten-year-old Jayden collapsed and died after suffering a cardiac arrest while skating last August.

His brave mum Kathleen said: "If we can get this law changed then Jayden will not have died in vain.

"We will never know if a defibrillator would have saved Jayden.

"But I know if we can bring in this law then every time one of the defibrillators is used then Jayden has saved a life."

His devastated parents launched a Tele-backed community campaign - the Show Some Heart appeal - this year to put defibs into every local school.

So far they have raised a remarkable £20,000 to put defibrillators into primaries and secondaries in Inverclyde.

Research suggests that using a defibrillator as quickly as possible can increase people's chance of survival by up to 74 per cent.

Kathleen, from Port Glasgow, said: "We have been overwhelmed by the support from the public for the campaign.

"I never thought we could get this far.

"I don't know what we would have done without this campaign.

"It has helped our whole family and kept us all going."

Now the grieving mum hopes that a law in her son's name can help save lives all over the country.

She added: "There are fire extinguishers in every building, so why should there not be defibrillators as well?"

The sports centre where Jayden was training when he collapsed had a defibrillator, but it was not used and it is understood it was stored in a first aid room.

As well as raising money to put the machines in schools, the family are also organising training sessions as well.

MSPs at Holyrood have already backed the Show Some Heart drive after MSP Stuart McMillan organised and led a debate on the campaign.

He was also inundated with cross party support and won the backing of public health minister Aileen Campbell.

Mr McMillan said: "I fully support this petition and the aims of Jayden’s Law.

"Having led a debate in the Scottish Parliament regarding Jayden’s family's incredible fundraising and campaigning to increase the number of defibrillators and the awareness of these lifesaving machines, I think it is only fitting that a new law regarding Public Access Defibrillators should be named after Jayden.

"These machines save lives and the more we have readily available for the public to use when someone takes unwell, can only be a good thing.”

Jayden's family won this year's Tele Charity Champions of the year prize at our recent community awards.

Their new petition is now set to be formally lodged with the Petitions Committee at the Scottish Parliament.

The Tele will advise readers on how they can sign the petition as soon as it is up and running.