Four generations of the same Andover family are raising money for a children’s ward that saved the life of the newest member of their clan.

Baby Reggie suffers from a rare condition called Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), which causes a range of heart defects. He stayed on the Ocean Ward at Southampton University Hospital while having heart surgery.

Now the family, from 90-year-old great great grandma Pauline Hoare to Reggie’s mum, Tamzin King, all want to give something back to the staff that helped them.

“The Ocean Ward support so many families and we can't thank the team enough for their support during what was an extremely worrying time,” they said.

ToF is a heart condition that is estimated to affect about one in 2000 babies. It is a combination of four heart defects, which include a hole in the heart, thickening of the right ventricle, narrowing of the exit from the right ventricle and an overriding aorta, where blood from both ventricles is able to enter artery leaving the heart. Affected babies can turn blue due to the lack of oxygen in their blood.

The family first found out Reggie would have the condition at Tamzin’s 20 week scan.

“Doctors had to keep an eye on him until he was born,” says Reggie’s grandmother, Sharon Chamberlain. “Then, at six months, he had his surgery. He had the hole removed, some muscle removed, and a valve widened.”

During his treatment, Reggie stayed on the Ocean Ward at Southampton Hospital, which provides care for children undergoing heart treatment. Sharon said that the staff were very supportive of Reggie and his mother.

“Tamsin’s 21 next week,” she said, “and her partner Kai couldn’t be there because of Covid. Staff were fantastic with her. They were there to help with Reggie and answer any questions. All the babies on the ward were so well looked after.

“It was like a home from home for her and they were really good.”

With Reggie now back home, the family have set up a fundraiser for the Families of Ocean Ward charity, a group which provides equipment, furniture and essential equipment for the ward, and the families who use it.

“We’re all so grateful,” said Sharon. “They basically saved Reggie’s life, and he is so important to all of us so we as a family can’t express how thankful we are to them. It’s just a little bit of giving back, paying forward as they say.”

Almost every member of the extended family is getting involved in the fundraising campaign. His grandfather, Mark Chamberlain, great uncles Maurice and Chris and cousin Jack are all planning to run 240 miles between April and Reggie’s first birthday on July 23, which is one mile for each hour he spent on the ward.

Meanwhile, his great-grandmother, Tuppence, has run a raffle at the Middle Wallop Army Camp where she works, and even great-great-grandmother Pauline is getting in on the fundraiser.

“We told her she didn’t have to do anything,” said Sharon, “but she said: ‘No, no, if everyone’s doing something I’m doing something too.’ She is a feisty little thing.”

Pauline, who is a regular fixture in Andover where she is out raising funds for the Salvation Army, is aiming to walk 27 miles between now and her 91st birthday in May.

“She just gets on with things,” says Sharon, “and she’s just had her second jab so she’s full of it now and ready to take on the world.”

Sharon herself is doing 12,000 steps each day of March, which is a bigger challenge than she anticipated.

“I didn’t realise it was six miles a day when I agreed to it!” she said. “My brother set it for me. You really want to sit down and then you realise you’ve still got 3,000 steps to do.

“It is a bit challenging, but I’ve been walking to work every day so walking that gets some of it done.”

The family are planning to raise as much money as possible throughout the year, and say that Reggie is doing better than ever.

“He’s doing amazing,” said Sharon, “he’s hitting all his milestones now. He’ll have to have more surgery as a teenager but otherwise he’s just your average eight-month-old baby.

“We’re so grateful to everyone who has donated so far and the staff at Ocean Ward and Southampton Hospital.”

To contribute to their fundraiser, please visit: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/reggiespayitforward