In 2003, Vashti's daughter Lily was diagnosed with a serious heart condition, and unexpectedly went into heart failure after a bout of bronchiolitis. At 8 months she underwent life-saving open heart surgery at The Royal Brompton Hospital.

The experience of nursing a sick baby – who was unable to feed, unable to grow, and occasionally even struggling to breathe – was one of hopelessness and despair. Throughout the anguish, however, Vashti had the comfort of knowing that Lily’s condition could be corrected with surgery.

The surgeon who performed Lily’s operation had recently returned from overseas, where he had been volunteering for the Chain of Hope – a charity which carries out vital heart surgery on children in developing countries that cannot afford life-saving medical expertise and technology.

Vashti was lucky enough to be able to see her child grow up. Chain of Hope and inspirational surgeons like Mr Sethia work tirelessly to ensure that the parents of thousands of children across the world have the same opportunity.   

This is why the Advocate & friends team will be undertaking the Three Peaks Challenge, climbing the three highest mountains in the UK in 24 hours in order to raise awareness and funds for the Chain of Hope, so that the fate of children like Lily are not determined by their country of birth. 

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