Little Grayson Burdett was only just one month old when his parents Emma and Sarah noticed he stopped feeding as well, a sign which turned out be an early symptom of heart failure.

Grayson was taken to Darent Valley Hospital where he was diagnosed with a heart problem called Atrioventricular Septal Defects (AVSD) and admitted to the Willow Ward.

Emma said: "We were overwhelmed with information by this point. We were having our first baby, and they try to give you information. It's scary being told about your son's heart valve problems.

"It was the toughest thing I've lived through. We were basically living at the hospital and it was difficult, and scary, at times. When he was born it was clear he was so full of life."

Grayson underwent five-hour open heart surgery in London when he was just three-months-old, which Emma said felt like a lifetime.

He has since been back and forth from Darent Valley, and is recovering well.

Emma said: "The nurses back at Darent Valley incredible. We were basically living in this room with Grayson at the hospital, and they made sure he was ok and that we were coping with what was going on, and they went out of their way for him and for us."

Grayson's surgery was successful, and he is now on medication. He may need further surgery in the future, but Emma said her and her wife are thinking of families going through tougher times.

She said: "We went through a lot but there are families that will be going through worse. The babies' ward is beautifully decorated, but the room for children and teenagers is different. And it is harder to entertain a teenager who may be there for as long as we were."

The family, Grayson included, will be completing the Brighton Glow Run in January and a Just Giving page has been set up to raise money as a thank you to the staff at Darent Valley.

A target of £750 has been set to renovate the children's ward and supply equipment such game consoles for older patients.

"They did an incredible job with Grayson, and they do a hell of a lot of good work there. We want to say thank you for that," Emma said.

The fundraising page can be found at JustGiving.com/crowdfunding/Graysonproject.