My daughter Erin has a smile that could melt your heart; a smile that hides the fragility of her condition and the complex journey she has taken since she was born on 4th April 2013.

Erin has a rare congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. This means that she was born with half a heart, of which there is no cure. At just four days old Erin underwent her first open heart surgery to re-plumb her circulation, suffering a cardiac arrest whilst recovering in Southampton General Hospital's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).  She has since spent two further periods of recovery in the PICU, after her second open heart surgery and subsequent bone infection at four months old.

The PICU team are everything that a  parent could wish for when their child is seriously ill.   Full of compassion and dedication, they made each day that little more bearable.  As did a remarkable lady called Donna Jones.  Donna has lost two sons to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and works tirelessly to support us and other families through their journey.  She has become a fantastic friend and we are proud to call her Erin's Godmother.

But now it is time for us to give something back.  Donna and her husband Dean set up The Charlie Jones Foundation and continue to fundraise tirelessly for a charity called Friends of PICU, raising vital funds to buy equipment to treat children like Erin. That is why on 26th October a team of family and friends, Lee, Ben, John,  Stewart, Craig, Jamie and Anthony will face the gruelling 10-mile Tough Mudder London South obstacle course (with mud, fire, ice and electric shocks all thrown in for good measure) to say thank you and to ensure that children continue to benefit from  the first-class care at Southampton General Hospital.

Please give generously and help us raise as much as possible for The Charlie Jones Foundation and Friends of PICU.  Sponsoring our team will ensure that children like Erin continue to smile.

If you would like to know more about where your money will be going, or to follow Erin's heart journey, please follow the links below:

http://www.charliejonesfoundation.org.uk

http://www.friendsofpicu.org.uk

http://adventuresfromtheheart.wordpress.com

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, Lee Stangroom

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.