Bingo Fans Raise £2,200 for Toddler's Heart Surgery in Southampton

_{Bingo players rally for brave toddler Caleb Thomas, raising £2,200 for Ocean Ward and Ronald McDonald House in Southampton. (Image: Ronald McDonald House)}

Generous hearted bingo fans have raised cash for a two-year-old with a heart condition.

Caleb Thomas from Southampton has a Pulmonary atresia, a congenital heart defect. The condition means that the valve that controls the blood flow from the heart to the lungs does not form at all.

Caleb’s parents noticed something was wrong when they took him home from hospital following his birth. His parents quickly took him back to the hospital in Salisbury where doctors carried out observations and concluded that Caleb was close to dying. He was rushed to Southampton where the heart condition was confirmed.

Caleb’s mum Kirsty said: “He had his first open-heart surgery at four days old and had temporary stents in place to connect his heart and his lungs.”

“He was really sick: he couldn’t feed or tolerate food.”

Caleb has undergone over 50 surgical procedures in an attempt to open his airwave. He’s now two years old and had two open heart surgeries and due to have another one, but his airwave became damaged and now he’s had over 50 surgeries on his airwave to get it to open.

Supporting Ronald McDonald House: A Lifeline for Caleb's Family

Caleb is now living in Coleford near the Forest of Dean, and he will be transferred to Bristol. The bingo night is being held to thank staff at the Ocean Heart Ward in Southampton General Hospital

Kirsty said: “This will be our last ‘hurrah’ for the hospital and me and my mum, Linda, will skydive next year - my biggest fear!

“We will be raising money for the Ronald McDonald House Charity, where we stayed in Southampton for nearly a year while Caleb was undergoing treatment.

“We would not have survived as a family without that help from the Ronald McDonald house charity.

“My son was in intensive care, and I needed to be sitting there with him as I had only just given birth to him. I was ill so they were looking after him as well as me so I could not be prouder of the people that cared for him and looked after us.”

Caleb’s aunt Kelly Thomas said: “I am pleased to say that we managed to raise a staggering £2,200 and still donations are coming in. The two charities Ocean Ward in Southampton Hospital and Ronald McDonald House in Southampton will benefit massively from this money and be able to help children and families like my nephew Caleb and his family. 

"We don’t know what the future holds for Caleb but to see everyone’s support for him was incredible.”