On Sunday 2nd July, I will be taking part in Ironman UK in aid of Young at Heart.
What is an Ironman? An Ironman is not just an ordinary triathlon; it is the ultimate test of physical and mental endurance. The race consists of three disciplines: a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike ride with 9,000 feet elevation, and a full marathon of 26.2 miles (42.2 km). Completing all three disciplines back-to-back in a single day( under 17 hours) is what makes an athlete an Ironman.

Jack’s story

           Ever heard of Kawasaki’s Disease? Probably not. The disease is that rare that only eight in every 100,000 children under the age of five are diagnosed with it each year in the UK. Back in 2013, our son, Jack, was one of the unlucky ones.

                It all started in April 2013, when our son was eight months old. Jack was taken into Russell’s Hall Hospital as he was very unwell. After two weeks of countless tests, doctors still had no idea what it was that was making him so ill. After ruling out literally every other possible cause and following in-depth discussions with Birmingham Children’s Hospital, we were eventually given the diagnosis of and treatment for Kawasaki’s Disease.

                Around eight weeks after diagnosis, all children that have been diagnosed with Kawasaki’s Disease undergo a heart ultrasound as a follow up procedure. Around 95% of children who have had KD will have either none or minimal heart or coronary artery defects and this is what we expected to see on Jack’s ultrasound. Unfortunately, he was in the unlucky 5% and was found to have multiple giant aneurysms in his coronary arteries. Jack was immediately admitted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital to start taking Warfarin in addition to the Aspirin he was already taking.
              Over the next year, we found ourselves having to attend either heart scans or Warfarin clinics at the hospital and often when Jack’s blood results were unsettled we were attending these on a daily basis.

                In 2014, after twelve months of countless hospital visits, we were contacted by a local charity- Young at Heart. They offered to gift us an INR machine, which could be used to self-test Jack’s blood at home. Receiving Jack’s INR machine has made such a massive difference to Jack’s quality of life and has just made life so much easier for us as a family.
               This is why I have decided to raise money for Young at Heart. Young at Heart is a local children’s heart charity offering help and support to families of babies and children diagnosed with heart defects. All of the children and the families they support have spent many weeks and months in hospital undergoing treatment for heart abnormalities with some having to undergo major heart surgery.


…Where are we today???
 Over the past 10 years, sadly Jack's aneurysms have not reduced as was the initial hope. This will most likely mean he is on medication for life. However, please do not be fooled... For those of you that have met Jack, you will know: he is the most wonderful, caring lad you will ever meet! He does not let his medical issues dictate what he can or can't do. He is following my footsteps into multisport and is a junior member of Halesowen Triathlon Club. He managed to complete his first swim run event this year and he intends to complete more in the near future.

Jack will also be running in Ironkids on Saturday 1st July.