Thank you for taking time to visit our JustGiving page..... In July I will be attempting to complete the 2012 Jane Tomlinson 10K run in Leeds, supported by a group of friends we like to call the P-Unit!

The reason we are doing this run is to raise funds for the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) and to somehow say a huge 'Thank you' to all the staff on Ward 12 and the Cardiac Intensive Care Ward at Leeds General Infirmary for taking such good care of our little boy Joshua.

Joshua was born with a complex congenital heart defect and at only 9 days old our little man underwent 9 hours of open heart surgery.

Although Joshua requires further surgery he is a happy, smiling little boy who has blessed our lives in every way possible. There aren't enough words to say how grateful we are for all the help and support the fantastic, miracle-working staff and surgeons at Leeds General Infirmary have given us.

The Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) is a registered charity based at the Yorkshire Heart Centre in Leeds General Infirmary. This centre covers Yorkshire, Humberside and the North Midlands. The CHSF raises funds for valuable equipment, resources and research for the treatment of children with heart defects, whilst providing a support service for both the children and their families along the way.

Please help us to raise as much money as possible, helping the CHSF support many other babies, children and their families like ours.

You may have seen in the news that the government plans to close the children's heart unit as a result of a national review by the NHS's Safe and Sustainable. CHSF are fighting these plans to close the unit by highlighting the flaws and inaccuracies in the process for over a year.  A final decision will be announced by a panel of decision makers, the JCPCT, on 4th July 2012.

Even if the government do decide to close this unit this process will take over two years and every year 10,000 children pass through the Leeds General Infirmary paediatric children's heart unit. Around 330 children from our region need open heart surgery and over 40% will need long term care. The Children's Heart Surgery Fund aim to ensure these children have the best possible chance of survival and to help their families in whatever way needed during their stay in hospital.

Thank you for reading our story and any donation, no matter how small, will be gratefully received.

Alison and Chris