Thanks to everyone who has generously supported me in taking part in the Big Fun Run in Glasgow on 24 July! Not only did you smash my original target of £200, but you also beat my next target of £300. Thanks to you all, you have raised £310 for the Cardiomyopathy Association!
If you want all the info on why I was raising money for the Cardiomyopathy Association and why it's such a great cause, read on.
Some of you may know that my partner John has dilated cardiomyopathy. This is a heart condition which causes the heart to enlarge and pump less strongly. Experts estimate that around 1 in 500 people are affected by some form of cardiomyopathy. It’s an auto-immune disease with complex causes - genetics, viruses and infection may all play a part. Cardiomyopathy and other familial heart conditions cause up to eight sudden deaths a week in the UK in the under 35s. But if it’s diagnosed it can be treated with drugs and surgery, and many people with cardiomyopathy go on to lead long and full lives.
When I first started going out with John I contacted the Cardiomyopathy Association, and their information and support was invaluable. They were also there for us when John was rushed to hospital with a life-threatening irregular heart rhythm, and when he was fitted with an internal defribrillator, which will jump-start his heart if it ever develops a dangerous rhythm again. They helped us understand the differences between the different kinds of implantable heart devices, why John might have been given that particular type of device, and they helped us work out what questions we wanted to ask the consultant.
More recently we’ve just attended an information day run by The Cardiomyopathy Association which is helping us make sense of John’s experiences so far, and the treatment and prognosis for his condition.
The Cardiomypathy Association do a lot more than provide information. They also fund free educational opportunities for medical professionals all over the UK, they fund specialist nurse posts in London, Glasgow and Belfast (and successfully persuaded the NHS to take over funding of the Glasgow and Belfast nurses), a specialist cardiologist at the Heart Hospital in London, and a pioneering telemedicine project which allows people in Scotland to receive consultations from specialists in London.
So, we’ve got all this support from the Cardiomyopathy Association, and hopefully you can see the difference that has made to us, and to the 120,000 other families affected by this condition. I think it’s now about time I did something in return.
That's why I did the 5K Big Fun Run in Glasgow on 24 July 2010.
Although the run is now complete, you can still donate online any time through this JustGiving page. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the Cardiomyopathy Association and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
Raised:
103%
Raised so far: £310.00
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Good luck with the run Deirdre! - Martin and Suzanne Donation by Martin Sherrit on 07/07/10 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
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Best of luck Deirdre. Donation by Damian & Lisa on 01/06/10 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
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Great cause, Good Luck! Donation by Joe Farrag on 23/05/10 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
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Good luck! Donation by Rebecca Plummer on 04/05/10 |
£10.00 |
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Good on you Deirdre. Hope that the training is going well and that you have great run : -) Donation by Jane Atkinson on 03/05/10 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
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£1 for every minute of sweat, you've planned to do. Excellent cause and good luck! Donation by Sabine on 30/04/10 |
£45.00 |
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good luck, don't forget the dolly mixtures. Donation by Lorna Rusling on 29/04/10 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
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Good luck Deirdre! Donation by Julia P on 28/04/10 |
£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid |
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All the best for the run and remember good socks and trainers and you'll do great!!!! Donation by Kevin Lawrie on 28/04/10 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
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You brave woman, you! All the best!! Donation by Claire Roberts on 24/04/10 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
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Best of luck with it. Donation by Nick Smith on 23/04/10 |
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Great cause Deirdre - good luck! Donation by Conor Browne on 23/04/10 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
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Good luck on the run Donation by William Howell on 23/04/10 |
£20.00 |
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Good luck! Donation by Mike Mullins on 21/04/10 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
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Hello D! I wish you all the luck! Donation by Reshma Vishram on 21/04/10 |
£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid |
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Keep the focus on the 'fun' part of the event and you will meet so many itneresting people on the way. Good luck. Donation by Rekha Wadhwani on 21/04/10 |
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Good luck! Donation by Paul Carnahan on 21/04/10 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
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Very best of luck with your run! Shout if you feel demotivated at any time and I'll do my best to cheer you on from down here! Donation by Bryony Evens on 20/04/10 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
| * Total raised online: | £285.00 |
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| Offline donations: | £25.00 |
| Mobile donations: | £0.00 |
| Total Raised: | £310.00 |
| Gift Aid plus supplement: | £59.23 |
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