Mum’s marathon effort in honour of heart patients
A MOTHER of two from Gomersal, West Yorkshire, is lacing up her trainers to tackle this weekend’s Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon in aid of a charity which helped when her son was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition.
Marie Lees, 36, is raising money for Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF), which provided support when her three-year-old son Ben underwent open heart surgery twice after he was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD).
The fund works with Leeds Congenital Heart Unit at Leeds General Infirmary, where Ben was operated on first at nine days old and then at eight months.
As an extra incentive on the gruelling 26.2-mile course, Mrs Lees is also dedicating each mile to someone who has been treated at the unit and supported by charity. The 27 people range in age from two months to 38 years and include Paul Farey from Pontefract, who died aged 36 in 2011. He had been a keen fundraiser for CHSF, collecting more than 3,000 signatures for its ‘Save Our Surgery’ campaign when the unit was threatened with closure during a national review of paediatric care. It is mile 26.2 that Mrs Lees will dedicate to her son Ben, who has now recovered from his condition which included transposition of the great arteries and a hole in his heart. Mrs Lees said she will be “forever grateful” to the LGI and CHSF, which provided accommodation for the family. She added: “I initially came up with the idea to dedicate a mile to an individual who has been treated at the unit and supported by the charity as a way to help me mentally on the day, but I thought that it would be a good opportunity to highlight the wide range of CHD and varying degrees of treatment. I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response and touched by each story. I’m privileged to run for each of them and I hope to do them all proud, not only by pushing myself hard on the day but by raising vital funds and awareness.”
Visit http://uk.virginmoney giving.com/MarieLees36.
The Yokshire Post is media partner for the marathon.