Mum Karla Sneddon is aiming to raise thousands of pounds for Ronald McDonald House to thank the charity for the help it gave her family when her new-born son had life-saving surgery.

Last year Alfie was born with imperforate anus, a rare birth defect where the rectum is malformed, and needed immediate surgery.

Miss Sneddon, 23, of Whitley Road in Aldbourne, and her son were transferred from Swindon Great Western Hospital to Bristol Children’s Hospital the day after Alfie was born.

Miss Sneddon said: “We literally had to go as we were; it was traumatic because I thought he was going to die and if he hadn’t had this surgery he would have.”

While Alfie had his surgery Miss Sneddon and her 43-year-old partner, Matthew Anderson, spent five days at the Ronald McDonald House – just five minutes away from the hospital. Miss Sneddon said: “They provide a home away from home and I think it’s a fantastic organisation.

“I don’t know what we would have done without them. At the hospital they just provide one bed so both me and my partner wouldn’t have been able to stay and there is a life line in the room so that the hospital could contact us if they needed to.”

Since then Alfie has had two more operations and now, having celebrated his first birthday a few weeks ago, he is fighting fit.

In November Miss Sneddon raised £188 for the charity through a craft fair. The next fair will take place at Marlborough Leisure Centre on June 7 from 1pm-5pm.