Tony O'Leary
Virtual Land's End to John O'Groats
Fundraising for Children's Heart Surgery Fund
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Along with my son and some cycling pals we are aiming to complete the distance from Land's End to John O'Groats virtually by the 21st of May 2021 which will be my Granddaughter, Rose's 2nd birthday.
Rose was born with a terminal heart defect called Interrupted Aortic Arch. Only 1 in 50,000 babies is born with this condition. The cardiac unit at Leeds General Infirmary diagnosed the defect at 20 weeks gestation; they followed up at 28 weeks and 35 weeks with fetal echocardiogram. When Rose was born she was taken straight to the Neo-natal unit and then transferred to the cardiac ward. Without this care she would have died.
When Rose was just 3 days old she had open heart surgery lasting over 10 hours. She was in hospital for 5 weeks and then had fortnightly appointments to monitor her progress. At 9 months old she had her second round of heart surgery after which she had a stroke. Rose had significant brain damage to both hemispheres of the brain and was left paralysed in her left side. Rose will face more surgery when she is 4 or 5 and will need recurring care for the rest of her life.
The CHSF is a vital resource for children like my granddaughter who face congenital heart disease. They provide life-saving medical equipment for the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit, parent accommodation for families and vital ward resources. They also fund staff training, scientific research and new clinical roles.
Once you donate, JustGiving will send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.