On the 19th October I shall be running the BUPA Great Birmingham Half Marathon and attempting to break the current Guinness World Record for the 'fastest half marathon in a nurse's uniform (male)' to help raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation.

My challenge is nothing compared to what my baby son has been through in the first year of his life. Born with a complex congenital heart condition he has undergone two open heart operations and one key-hole heart operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital and will need another open heart operation in a few years time. In total he has spent over three months in hospital on four separate occasions on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Neonatal Cardiac Ward (Ward 11). During this time, free accommodation for my family was provided by the Ronald McDonald House Charity in their purpose built building located next to the hospital.

According to the British Heart Foundation, congenital heart diseases affect around 4,600 babies born in the UK every year. The impact of advances in diagnosis, treatment and care is stark - in the 1950s around eight out of ten babies with a complex congenital heart condition died before their first birthday. Today, thanks to advances in treatment and care, more than eight out of ten babies with congenital heart disease grow up to be adults.

My half marathon challenge is part of a 12month fun raising campaign to raise money for the Birmingham Children's Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House Charity and the British Heart Foundation.

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