IT is the picture they thought they would never see. For parents Mark and Sue Ind never believed their son would be able to lead the normal life of a sports-mad schoolboy.

Born with serious heart problems, Alex from Chandler's Ford has undergone four major operations at Southampton General Hospital's cardiac unit.

Now standing proud in his cricket whites, holding his bat ready for action, the nine-year-old loves nothing more than perfecting his bowling technique - as well as spending time on his PlayStation and following Southamp-ton Football Club.

When he collected an achievement award for making the school cricket team in a special ceremony at Otterbourne Village Hall it was a treasured moment for him, his friends and his family.

"Alex is like a new person," said delighted dad Mark. "As parents we are so proud of his courage and determination to live his life to the full.

"This time last year we were wondering how he would ever pull through. Now we have a young son who is doing normal things we never imagined he would be able to do - things most people would take for granted.

"We are certainly making up for lost time as a family."

It is the expertise and dedication of the doctors, nurses and other health professionals that has given Alex the gift of life.

During the past five years Alex's mum and dad have been determined to help other parents and relatives of children born with heart problems by supporting the Wessex Children's Heart Circle.

The charity relies on voluntary donations to support the work of the 16-bed children's cardiac unit at Southampton General Hospital.

The couple, supported by dedicated friends and family, have raised about £30,000 for the charity from annual fundraising events at the Holiday Inn, Southampton, where Mark is manager.

Most recently, about £5,000 of this money was spent on opening a new kitchen on the children's cardiac ward, called Ocean Ward.

It is already making a difference, according to senior sister Margaret Porter, who has worked in the unit for more than 20 years.

She said: "The kitchen has always been vital for the parents and the children on the ward. They can have breakfast around the table, which adds a bit of normality.

"Parents have a chance to chat with each other and so do the children. A lot of families are a long way from home and they can make their own meals if they want to while they are here.

"We are very grateful for the support offered by Mark and all those who have supported him."

Mark hopes that parents coming from as far afield as Plymouth, the Channel Islands and Chichester will gain some comfort from a more welcoming communal setting within the ward.

From his family's own experience he knows only too well the emotional turmoil of seeing a young child undergo heart surgery.

Alex was born three weeks early on September 11, 1998. Five days later he took a turn for the worst after becoming blue and breathless.

His parents took him back to Winchester's Royal Hampshire County Hospital, where he was born.

"I remember a doctor telling me We just have to check him out'," recalls Mark.

"The next thing I knew I was following a blue flashing light to Southampton General Hospital.

"I spent the next eight hours totally confused. I had gone from the elation of birth to the why is this happening?' scenario."

At just six days old Alex was diagnosed with a blockage in the blood vessel that connects part of the heart to the lungs, meaning his blood was not being oxygenated properly.

He was also found to have two holes in the heart and his internal organs were the wrong way around.

Today Mark, 41, is full of gratitude to the medical professionals who have helped his son.

"It has been great having such a good continuity of care," said Mark. "They are legends - all of them."

At just 18 months Alex underwent his second operation to rectify many of the problems which had been revealed during the first diagnosis.

He underwent open-heart surgery, from which he took just two weeks to recover.

A third operation took place six years later to help prevent Alex, a pupil at Scantabout Primary School in Chandler's Ford, from becoming too breathless. Just over a year ago, he underwent a nine-hour operation, encompassing four complicated surgical heart procedures.

"They had to get the timing right. If they did it too soon he might not have made it through the operation, too late and he might have a stroke. We had some pretty dark days," said Mark.

"Because we have been through it we sort of know what to expect. The operation went really, really well."

"Alex is like a new person. The culmination was getting into the school cricket team. The achievement of standing up and collecting an award at Otterbourne Village Hall was absolutely fantastic."

Big sister Holly, 13, a pupil at Thornden School, Chandler's Ford, has been a pillar of strength as she has always been willing to help her brother in hospital and at home.

Alex's ambition is to play for the England cricket team. But for now he and his family are thankful that he can at least enjoy taking part in the sport he loves - and living the life of an ordinary schoolboy. Mark said: "Alex was born with a physical problem. But due to outstanding surgery he will have a good quality of life."

Wessex Children's Heart Circle - 01935 816156 or www.wchc.org.uk.