THE HAM RUN, A FAMILY AFFAIR
At first glance, one may not see anything particularly special about this picture – a grandfather enjoying some quality time with his beloved grandson. But this story has a little twist. Mark Mingay, long-time Toowoomba resident and former Griffith, NSW, pig farmer, is preparing to do some serious driving all over Southeast Queensland this December, and a huge part of the reason lies with his little two-year-old mate, Hugh.
Hugh Jensen is one of 467 people in the world who has been diagnosed with a microdeletion of the sixth chromosome.
An extremely rare gene disorder which, in their search for answers, sent his desperate parents to the brink of sanity.
Gratefully, thanks to the amazing work of the Children’s Medical Research Institute, the Jensens were able to finally get some answers.
These answers unlocked an entire world of possibility for Hugh, and many of the unknowns in his future became manageable and exciting instead of scary for him and his family.
Luke and Michelle Jensen, the young new Toowoomba business owners of Westridge and The Ridge Meats, feel indebted to the institute and are determined to give back.
“Without this research, we would have continued walking around in the dark, blaming ourselves and not being able to get help for our little boy,” Michelle says.
“We would like to help to make sure that other parents do not have to endure the same hellish ordeal that Luke and I went through, and we believe that funding more research and awareness will help towards achieving this.”
Westridge Meats has been twice awarded the highly acclaimed title of Australia’s Best Ham.
This Christmas, they plan to sell and deliver their award-winning hams all over Southeast Queensland.
“Five dollars from every ham sold this Christmas goes to Jeans for Genes, which is the main charity initiative that funds the Children’s Medical Research Institute,” Michelle says.
Michelle’s father Mark Mingay is pleased to be doing the delivering, and looks forward to hitting the road with his festive cargo.
“Christmas is such a special time for families to come together,” Mark says.
“So many of the best memories are made around the dinner table, and I’m pleased to be able to deliver the most important part of the meal, the ham.”
To help raise money for the Jeans for Genes initiative, you can order your ham via the website thehamrun.com.au, or order in-store at Westridge and The Ridge Meats.