A FUNDRAISING father has put pen to paper in aid of a charity that looks after cardiac patients on the Isle of Wight.

Mark Ind, whose son Alex was born with a serious heart condition, has written his first book, Fifty Days of Lockdown – a personal account of his family’s unique experience of lockdown.

No stranger to inspiring others, Mark and his family have raised more than £100,000 for regional charity, Wessex Heartbeat, in an ongoing act of gratitude for the care and support given to Alex.

With a percentage of book sales going to the charity, the first-time author continues to fundraise for the organisation that holds a special place in his heart.

Alex himself, who had previously never run more than the length of a cricket pitch, spent a month in lockdown training for a charity 10k run.

Exactly one year to the day after his fourth round of major open-heart surgery, he completed the challenge, raising £3,000 for Wessex Heartbeat.

While recovering from the surgery, he also suffered a mini stroke but, incredibly, Alex pulled through and was playing Hampshire League Cricket just two weeks later.

Mark said: “Writing a lockdown journal was certainly inspired by Alex, who experienced his own personal lockdown while he endured the time in hospital, before completing his triumphant run in May last year.

“His story, coupled with the chronology of the virus, resulted in this unique book with an underlying message of hope in the face of adversity.”