He's raised more than £10,000 for the charity that has helped him and his family through some of their darkest days. 

Southampton cardiac charity Heartbeat is honouring once of its most committed fundraisers Nigel Brown, who has been raising money for 20 years. 

Nigel and his wife Diana first stayed at the 24-bedroom 'home from home' adjacent to the hospital in 2006 when their youngest son, George, had surgery to replace his aorta and aortic valve.

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George was just ten years old at the time. As a teenager, he would go on to have further surgery, which meant Nigel and Diana stayed at the house, three minutes walk from the cardiac patients, on several occasions.

Nigel’s family has had more need of it than most. His wife and daughter were diagnosed with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, which affects the body’s connective tissue and can lead to heart problems. Diana underwent surgery to replace her descending aorta but sadly passed away last year.

Daughter Lisa had the same procedure this year, following the birth of her first baby. She was in surgery for 19 hours and her husband stayed at the house during her treatment.

"Rotary Heartbeat House is such a fantastic place," said Nigel. "When George was ill, we would sometimes stay there for two or three weeks at a time. It was so important for him to know we were there.

"Being able to stay close by when someone you love is having surgery is amazing when you have so many other things to worry about. It just takes the pressure off. All you have to do is get yourself some food. Everything else is supplied."

As well as sponsoring a room at Rotary Heartbeat House for a year, both Nigel and his eldest son have completed sponsored cycle rides for Heartbeat to show their support.

Tanya Harder, Community Fundraising and Marketing Manager at Heartbeat, added: "We are incredibly grateful to Nigel and his family for their generosity and support over the years. The whole family has had a particularly challenging journey and we are in awe of his dedication in helping us ensure that others facing similar challenges have the support they need."