AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD boy born with a life-threatening health condition has raised £1,500 for a charity.

Ryan Marshal, from Bournemouth, was diagnosed with a critical heart condition four days after his birth.

He was raced to the Wessex Cardiac Centre at Southampton General Hospital for urgent surgery.

He had been diagnosed with - pulmonary stenosis - a condition that severely blocks a heart valve.

During this traumatic time, the cardiac charity gave Ryan’s parents a room in its 25-bedroom “home from home” Heartbeat House so they could stay close to their newborn son – a lifeline for the new mum and dad.

He has since taken on an 'incredible challenge' to raise money for the Southampton heart charity.

The youngster, who attends St Walburga’s Catholic Primary School, walked ten kilometres over six weeks with his Year 3 classmates raising a staggering £1,507.50 for Wessex Heartbeat.

Heartbeat House is currently undergoing an £80,000 refurbishment, offers rooms for a single charge of £25, with residents allowed to stay for as long as they need.

There are communal areas for relaxing, socialising and cooking and gives families the chance to give and receive emotional support in what is often an extremely difficult time.

His father, Daniel Marshall, said: “Being offered accommodation right next to the hospital was a saviour for us. It was a terrible time and having the stress taken away from us regarding where to stay, was a huge weight off our minds.

“We are so grateful for Wessex Heartbeat’s support, and we are so proud of Ryan for taking on this special fundraiser on their behalf.”

John Munro, chief executive of Wessex Heartbeat, said: “We are so grateful for the money raised by Ryan and his classmates – what an incredible thing for them all to do!

“Our utmost priority is to ensure that heart patients and their families are treated with the best possible care and support, and without the donations from our incredible supporters, we would not be able to provide this vital help for the community.

“To know that we could help Ryan and his parents in what must have been a very scary time is wonderful to hear.”

Wessex Heartbeat visited St Walburga’s Catholic Primary School in July to present a special ‘thank you’ heart plaque to Ryan and his classmates.

For more information, visit the Wessex Heartbeat website.