Story

Thank you for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page :) My daughter Mia was born in July 2001 after a normal pregnancy. Within a few hours she was diagnosed with complex heart defects - Mia had her first heart surgery at 6 days old. She's since had several operations, the last being complex open heart surgery in 2005. Mia will need more surgery in the future. She's my inspiration and the reason I started running :) On 5th June 2011 I'll be taking part in my first ever triathlon! I'm not really looking forward to the swimming part (!) but I've had some excellent training with Rochdale Triathlon Club and I'm confident that I'll be able to complete it, especially with the incentive of raising (hopefully!) lots of money for the 'Mending Broken Hearts Appeal'. I'm really proud to be supporting the British Heart Foundation again, a charity that is close to our hearts. The British Heart Foundation funds more than half of all heart research in the UK. Their latest appeal is the Mending Broken Hearts Appeal. The research that this appeal is funding could be changing lives within just ten years! Please have a look at the info below, it's really awe inspiring stuff...       <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> When we have a heart attack, a portion of our heart muscle is damaged or dies. Right now, we can't repair it. Unlike zebrafish, which can regrow parts of their heart, damage to our hearts is permanent. Heart failure cuts short thousands of lives every year, but now scientists have the first real hope that these lives could be saved. </td> <td> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The BHF need to spend £50 million to fund the groundbreaking research that could begin to literally 'mend broken hearts' in as little as ten years. As the zebrafish has shown us, heart regeneration is possible in nature. The BHF think that if they find and harness the key genes and chemical messengers, in the right cells, at the right time, they could find a way to help our hearts fix themselves. Just like a broken bone will heal. Research is already providing vital clues about how human hearts could be repaired. But there's so much more to do. The BHF hope to invest £50 million in world-leading stem cell research and developmental biology to see whether we can repair or replace damaged or dead heart tissue with new, healthy, functioning heart tissue. <div class="collapse-box">   Within five years the BHF hope to begin early clinical trials. Within 10 years they aim to be running full trials. Within a further decade, people living with heart failure could look forward to a brighter future.</div> <h2>On the cutting edge</h2> The BHF been saving lives by funding research for 50 years. Their experience, knowledge and trusted reputation means they can recruit top scientists from around the world, and give them access to the most advanced labs and equipment. The BHF are already funding our scientists in this innovative area, and the money we hope to raise will fund more research projects to help us achieve their goal of mending broken hearts. 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 - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now. Thank you to our family and friends for their support, I really couldn't do the training without their help. Thanks also to my Rochdale Harriers team-mates for keeping me striving to run faster (well.. to keep up at least!) Thank you so much! Love jill and moo xx