A SOUTHAMPTON man who suffers with complex heart issues has raised £3k for charity just one year after major open-heart surgery.

Alex Ind has lived with complex heart defects since birth.

But the 21-year-old did not let his condition stop him from raise £3,000 for Wessex Heartbeat.

Alex, a talented golfer and cricketer from Chandler's Ford, has defeated the odds and put his fitness to the test and has brought the Ind family fundraising total to over £100,000.

Arriving three-weeks premature in Winchester Hospital, Alex was born with congenital heart disease and a condition which caused blockage in a part of his heart that connects to the lungs, meaning his blood was not being oxygenated properly.

Although a shunt was fitted to clear the blockage, investigations found he also had two holes in the heart and his internal organs were the wrong way around.

Under the care of Southampton General Hospital, including ongoing after-care support from Wessex Heartbeat, Alex has faced a lifetime of operations – including four open-heart surgeries with the most recent performed just a year ago on May 13, when he also contracted sepsis and had a mini stroke.

Mark Ind, Alex’s father, who also supports the charity by putting on fundraising events across Hampshire said:

“Alex continues to amaze us with his incredible resilience and passion to raise money for those who have helped him.

“Despite his condition, as well as living with a pacemaker, Alex decided that lockdown was the perfect opportunity to improve his fitness and hit his target of running 10k – an extraordinary achievement in light of what he has been through during his life.

“We are eternally grateful for all the amazing care Alex has received over the years from the incredible NHS staff at Southampton General Hospital to all those at Wessex Heartbeat and look forward to giving back to them through our future fundraising efforts.”

John Munroe, CEO of Wessex Heartbeat added: “The Ind family have gone above and beyond in their fundraising efforts for Wessex Heartbeat and we are simply in awe at how incredible Alex is. He is a shining example of what a cardiac patient can achieve if they receive the high-quality care and support given by our incredible NHS here in Southampton."

To donate to Alex, please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alex-ind-10km.