UPDATE!!! We did it! Thank you to everyone who has sponsored us and thank you to my mum and dad for being there on the day to cheer us on. Most importantly I would like to say thank you to Rich. I could never have done this without you. You are wonderful and mean the world to me.
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online.
I was born with a heart condition called aortic stenosis, which is a narrowing of the aorta valve. I have had to have lots of heart surgery to try and correct the problem and everyone at the Brompton has always been fantastic to me and very supportive of my parents. I was diagnosed with the problem when I was about 3 days old and my parents were told that I wouldn't ever be able to even ride a bike. So when I was 10, with the help of my parents, I organised a sponsored bike ride with my friends and managed to raise about £2,000 for them.
Fifteen years and another heart operation later I thought it was about time that I raised a bit more and I have roped my boyfriend Richard in to help me! I have now had a heart valve transplant and can happily say that I no longer have aortic stenosis...I have corrected aortic stenosis! This last operation was the most daunting for my parents as they were told at the time it was probably about a 50% chance that I would survive and to be honest I don't think they could have coped without the support of the wonderful staff at the Brompton. I was the lucky one who had no idea of the statistics! Ironically this procedure is now widely used and is, in a word, common!
The team at the Brompton have enabled me to grow up and live a normal and happy life and I am eternally grateful to them for that. At some point in my life I will have to have another procedure. I am not sure when or what this will be as there are so many advances in medicine, but one thing I can say is that I am not worried about it. I have the utmost faith and trust in everyone at the Brompton and I know they will do everything they can to help me, so right now I want to help them.
We have decided to run the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough on 12 October 2008, which is a half marathon. I began training about 2 months ago and felt like I was dying after 3 minutes of gentle jogging, so I need as much support as I can get! I received a lot of support when I organised the bike ride, not only from my friends and family, but also from a lot of businesses in and around Milton Keynes, where I grew up. I am hoping that everyone will be just as supportive this time round and I am also hoping this will extend to businesses in and around Northampton too, where I am now living.
UPDATE: Unfortunately due to illness I was unable to complete the half marathon in October. I have now got a place in the Nike+ half marathon in Milton Keynes on 8th March 2009. This gives me three months to train, so please give me as much support as you can!
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital Charitable Fund will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
So please sponsor me now!
We would both like to thank you for your support. It is appreciated much more then you could ever imagine.
Thank you
Emma and Richard
