We are raising money to plant a tree in Valentines Park Ilford in memory of a very special, brave and determined young man who lost his fight for life at just 20 years old. Everyone who knew Arif and his family will know the hard journey they had to endure with his illness. The tree is a Cherry Blossom one and will have a dedicated plaque. The significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It's a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short.

As we have been lucky enough to raise more money than we need to plant the tree, the excess will be donated in Arifs memory to the GUCH ( Grown up Congenital Heart disease unit) at Barts.

The service, which transferred from the Heart Hospital to Barts heart Centre in May 2015, continues to provide seamless care between childhood and adulthood for those born with heart disease via a well established transition program with Great Ormond St Hospital.