Most of you will already know that our second son Andrew was born with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).  One in every 100 babies born this year will have CHD! 

Having undergone 3 open-heart bypass surgeries at the ages of one month, 4 years and 14 years, together with numerous invasive procedures and closed-heart surgeries, Andrew is now the proud owner of an artificial mitral heart valve and the Rolls Royce of pacemakers.  Now 16, he is one of the lucky ones!

Wessex Heartbeat is a charity that supports Southampton General Hospital’s Wessex Cardiac Care Centre, a Centre of International Excellence, for both Congenital Heart Disease and Cardiovascular Disease.  Internationally renowned, it is one of the most successful in the UK with a geographical catchment area covering most of central southern England, Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands, serving a population of around 2.8 million people. The charity provides the latest specialist equipment and major facilities for patients, their relatives and staff to ensure the highest quality of care for the 20,000 adults and children treated each and every year.  (Cardiovascular disease will cause nearly 40% of all adult deaths this year in the UK!!)

Some of you may remember, some years ago, my DH Conrad walked the 28 miles from our home town of Petersfield to Southampton’s Wessex Cardiac Unit, raising well over £3000.  Several blisters later, one wondered whether people tend to be more generous when they know a sponsee will suffer in their challenge!!?  We like to believe that the generosity of mankind simply exists without such coercion.......!? 

No amount of money can fully repay the tremendous miracle making of the Wessex Cardiac team.  In a bid to support Wessex Heartbeat in raising funds for the proposed Young Adult Congenital Heart Unit at Southampton, we’ve set up our own JustGiving page for the benefit of those who simply want to give.………

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 charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - it raises more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Please feel free to donate as little or as much as you like - every penny will be equally appreciated and put to fantastic use.

Thanks for taking the time to visit this page.

Good health to all, from Theresa, Conrad, Alex, Andrew & Sam Drykoningen