Walk in memory of Jessica
Filey-born Ryan’s charity walk to his hometown for British Heart Foundation
Friends and family will join together to raise money in memory of a baby girl who died at just six weeks old.
Ryan and Vicky Crawford are raising money for the British Heart Foundation after their daughter Jessica Alice was born with a congenital heart condition.
Ryan will be joined this week by friends and family in a sponsored walk from Saltburn to his hometown of Filey. So far more than £1,400 of his £2,500 target has been donated.
Ryan, who now lives in Wigan, said: “In July 2015, my little girl Jessica was born, she had a hole in her heart and complications with the valve and she passed away after six weeks.
“My brother, Josh, had a hole in his heart when he was a child. It was already a cause close to us as a family.”
Four of his friends have already begun walking the Cleveland Way from Helmsley to Saltburn where they will be met by another dozen walkers, including Ryan and his brother Josh, who now lives in Surrey, for the final stretch.
The couple, who live in Wigan, raised money for the hospital that had cared for Jessica and had always planned to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.
“Matthew Pearson, who has helped organise a lot of this, kind of gave me a kick up the backside to get it done,” said the 34-year-old dad.
“We went through a very difficult time and it’s good to do this with the people who supported us.”
Ryan, who attended Filey School, added: “We’re all local lads to the area who have moved about the country so it has been difficult to organise, but I’m very thankful of their support.
Katherine Stybelski, fundraising manager for Greater Manchester, said: “Ryan, his friends and family are about to undertake a huge challenge to raise much needed funds for The British Heart Foundation.
“Every day 12 babies in the UK are born with congenital heart disease and we need people like Ryan to help us change this picture. We sadly see devastation for families like Ryan’s every day and it just isn’t fair on the families affected.”
‘It’s good to do this with the people who supported us’ Ryan Crawford Raising funds for the British Heart Foundation