Back in 2016 we had our first encounter with Congenital Heart Disease.....before this I had no idea of the hurdles we would face and that this could even happen during pregnancy. 

We had a little baby girl who was sadly diagnosed with several major Congenital Heart diseases during my pregnancy and unfortunately her little heart just wasn't strong enough to make it full term. We then tried again and we were very blessed with our beautiful Lucia who has a healthy heart....never in a million years did we think we would be faced with another CHD diagnosis further down the line and that lighting could strike twice. 

Heartbreakingly we lost two little angels at 12 weeks in 2019 & 2020 also due to heart issues we believe and then sadly this year in January we met our beautiful Axel who was diagnosed with Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum & Hypoplastic Right Ventricle. Axel was diagnosed at 12 weeks during our scan and we were faced with a lot of uncertainty for his future. 

I found the charity 'Little Hearts Matter' and it soon became such a support for me.... Knowing someone was there to help answer any questions about Axel's condition and what the future might look like, also the community through Facebook where I could talk to other families that had been in a similar situation to me and how they had coped. 

Unfortunately Axel's half a heart just wasn't strong enough to make the journey and we lost him at 16 weeks however, Little Hearts Matter were always there and it has helped me endlessly talking to other parents that have lost a child with similar conditions. 

The amount of support they offer is priceless and the fountain of knowledge is incredible. Building such a supportive community has really got me through some low points and made me feel part of a family. 

Running has made me keep focused mentally and physically and when im feeling low going for a run gives me that head space I need. 

I've never run as far as a half marathon before so being able to do this will be a real milestone for me especially after 5 pregnancies so it seems pretty appropriate to raise money and more importantly awareness for such an incredible charity as 'Little Hearts Matter'. I know the last year has been a very tough one for everyone but LHM need funding more than ever to keep going and supporting families in the way they do. 

Thank you so much for reading my story and for your support

Rachel xx