Next month I am running the Ealing Half Marathon to raise money for a charity which is dear to Chiara (my husband’s cousin) and her husband John. After suffering the loss of their first daughter, Gemma, in 2015 who was born prematurely, their second son, Massimo, was born last year on Christmas Eve with a heart defect that required surgery. Unfortunately the procedure was not successful and Massimo sadly passed away a week later.

Over the past few months they have battled through a lot of pain with the support and prayers of family, dear friends and also strangers who have had a similar experience. When I asked Chiara and John how I could use this challenge for a good cause they suggested the Children’s Heart Federation which helps children with heart defects and provides support to their families. The Children’s Heart Federation invests in several research studies to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of congenital or acquired heart disease in children.