A COMMUNITY has come together to support a one-year-old boy who has undergone open heart surgery after being born with heart defects.

Theodore Smith, of Hadleigh, is currently recovering in Evelina Children’s Hospital, in London, after his third heart surgery and a tracheostomy.

Theo was born with serious heart defects, meaning his heart is back to front and has no wall between two of his chambers.

This put pressure on his windpipe, leaving him with only 10 per cent of his airways meaning it is very difficult for him to breathe.

In the first year of his life, he has had heart surgery, open heart surgery, one tracheostomy and many other operations.

On top of all of this he struggled to gain weight, suffered Parvo virus, had bronchiolitis multiple times and was hospitalised with meningitis.

While he is in hospital, his family is staying nearby at the Ronald McDonald House, which is an independent charity providing free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with sick children in hospitals across the UK.

After seeing how much both the hospital and Ronald McDonald House have done for Theo and his family over the past year, Donna Roff, who runs the baby sensory classes that Theo attended, decided to raise some money for the charity and the Evelina Children’s Hospital.

The babies dressed up as little cowboys and cowgirls and asking for sponsorship to take part in this week’s charity YeeHa baby sensory classes in Hadleigh, Benfleet and Rayleigh.

As part of the YeeHa Baby Sensory class, the babies rounded up cattle with their ribbon lassos, made music in the saloon bar, set up camp, cooked up a cowboy stew on their bonfire, and finished with a marvellously colourful finale with bubbles, balloons, lights and instruments to celebrate their Wild West adventure.

Through sponsorship, Donna hopes to raise more than £500.

She said: “When I visited Theo and his family at the Ronald McDonald House, I was immediately touched by what they do to help families of sick children.

“Not only are the rooms immaculate and clean, but they offer real home from home comforts, enabling the family to stay close to Theo whilst he’s at the Evelina.”

There are 14 Ronald McDonald Houses across the UK situated in or near hospital grounds that enable seriously ill children to have their families close by when they are undergoing treatment, and to maintain a degree of normal family life.

Ronald McDonald House Charities relies on the generosity of supporters and fundraisers, including McDonald’s customers, without whom it would be unable to continue its work.

You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/SomeoneSpecial/SuperTheo