We are Seven  Families who are close friends of Miika and his wonderful family who are running either 200m, 5km and 10km  on the 13th of May at the Superhero Fun Run in Regents Park. We are taking part together raise money for  Miika. 

Miika's Story 

In Sept 2015 our world changed forever, at 20 months, Miika was diagnosed with a heart condition, Restrictive and Dilated Cardiomyopathy, and we were told he would eventually need a heart transplant! In May 2017 Miika deteriorated significantly and was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital.  Several days later he was placed on a Berlin Heart machine, an “artificial heart” that pumps blood around the body.  He would live in hospital on the Berlin Heart until a donor heart became available but with the Berlin Heart came major risks of brain damage.  Over the next few months Miika suffered two brain injuries, a bleed on the brain on Father’s Day and a stroke on our Wedding Anniversary!We can’t describe how it felt to not know 100% how Miika would be effected but he has always been a warrior and soldiered on with rehabilitation until we received the call, they had found Miika a heart! A beautiful gift from a stranger! A miracle and a tragedy in one day. Miika recovered well from the transplant and has spent the last 3 months living at The Children’s Trust in Surrey, a brain injury rehabilitation centre for children,where Miika is having intensive rehab to help him to try to walk, talk, swallow, use his right arm and improve his cognition and learning which has been significantly impaired. We have 2 weeks left and we will finally be home together again after 10 months! Miika will need intensive therapies over the next 4 years to make a real impact to his life (the NHS are only able to offer us the 3 months and to continue we need to fund ourselves).Studies show that the first 5 years after a stroke is the most crucial part of rehabilitation. We want to share Miika’s journey with you and record the moments and opportunities that the gift of a heart has given our family and use this platform to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We hope that you will join us in helping us to raise the funds Miika so desperately needs for his rehabilitation.