A mum with a daughter born with a serious heart condition will use her personal experiences to help others as she leads a new charity hub to support children with heart problems.

Heart Heroes will be opening the hub in Stowupland so it can help more families with regular events and support groups.

The Suffolk hub will be run by Lisa Carter, who has three children, one of whom was born with a serious heart condition.

East Anglian Daily Times: Evanee with her mum LisaEvanee with her mum Lisa (Image: Lisa Carter)

Lisa's middle child Evanee, eight, was born with coarctation of the aorta, which is where part of the aorta is narrower than usual.

Lisa, who is from Stowmarket, said: "I found out during my 20-week scan and it was a real shock.

"Fortunately when Evanee was born she wasn't quite as poorly as the doctors had feared."

Evanee was looked after at the Evelina London Children's hospital and has had surgery on three separate occasions, when she was nine days old, five months old, and had a pacemaker fitted when she was two.

Lisa said: "She is doing fantastically now. She is very active and even running laps around the school field, which is really building her stamina

East Anglian Daily Times: Evanee Carter was born with a narrow aorta and was fitted with a pacemaker when she was just twoEvanee Carter was born with a narrow aorta and was fitted with a pacemaker when she was just two (Image: Lisa Carter)

"She can do most things, apart from contact sports because of the pacemaker."

On leading the hub, Lisa said: "There will be a lot of families going through what we did.

"When I was new to everything, I was really lost, and I would love to have known about Heart Heroes then.

"It will also be great for Evanee to finally be able to mix with other children who have been through the same thing that she has."

East Anglian Daily Times: Lisa's three children: left to right - Kaira (11), Willow (1) and Evanee (8)Lisa's three children: left to right - Kaira (11), Willow (1) and Evanee (8) (Image: Lisa Carter)

Charity founder Kelly Cornish said: "By opening the Suffolk centre, we can reach more families by putting on local events for them, which will include coffee mornings where parents meet and support each other."

The first meeting will take place on Monday, May 30 from 2pm-4pm at Stowupland Village Hall, where there will be activities for children and give parents a chance to chat with one another.