Hello my name is Tracey, i was born with a severe complex congenital heart defect. I only have a single ventricle among other things that are wrong with my heart. when i was born nobody knew about my condition, one day i just turned blue and was rushed to my local hospital they could’nt do anything for me so i was rushed to Great Ormond Street hospital. After loads of tests etc my mum was offered an experimental operation which had never been performed before there was a very high risk of me not making it through the surgery but without it i would have died anyway so i had the operation. (Since then this operation has been performed on 1000’s of babies). The Doctors thought that i would need another operation when i was 2 but i defied the odds and did not need my next operation until i was 11, this was a nine hour surgery. I remember when i was taken round to the intensive care room and shown it to prepare myself before the operation, the room was nick named the pump room and thats all it was machines pumping and keeping children alive. I had to leave great Ormond street as a patient when i was 16.

On my 16th birthday I was with my best friend when i collapsed and was rushed to hospital, when my curtains were first pulled back from around my bed the coranary care ward was full of men ,this was my first time on an adult ward. Over the years i have had more major heart surgery, minor heart surgery, pace makers fitted, eblations, cardio vertions, a heart attack and many more things. I currently take 36 tablets a day and i need oxygen 24h hours a day. There is no cure for my condition its just drugs, surgery. As well as my heart condition i have had three major operations on my kidneys, i am also currenly suffering from Annorexia, have gallstones, have an under active thyroid gland.

The reason I am hoping to raise this money is so that I can part exchange our current car and buy a larger secondhand car and to buy a hoist which can then be fitted into the back for my mobility scooter which will give me more independence. My husband is currently having to take my scooter to bits and lift it in and out of the car which is causing him a great deal of pain and is very time consuming. My husband of 23 years also suffers from athritis in his lower back and both knees which is getting worse meaning that he will soon not be able to do this any more, therefore this would significantly have a huge impact on both of our lives making it easier for us to go out and about as a couple.