My Story

I’m running the London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation, aiming to raise £2,621 - £100 for every mile!

Somehow, against all odds, I got a place in the London Marathon ballot. I'm not a runner - far from it - but this feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I couldn't pass up.

After securing my spot, I knew I wanted to use it for something bigger than myself. With everything my family has been through, raising money for the British Heart Foundation felt like the only choice.

My daughter Florence was born with a heart condition called fetal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). It affects less than 1% of pregnancies. SVT can be fatal if it's left unnoticed or untreated because the heart beats so fast it can't pump blood properly. In babies, that can quickly lead to heart failure. Florence came into the world via emergency c-section. If we hadn't gone to the hospital when we did, she might not have made it.

Since birth, she's been on heart medication up to six times a day, every single day. She'll stay on it until she's old enough for surgery that could finally correct her heart rhythm. We've had some frightening moments. In one episode, her usual medication didn't work, and she had to be transferred to Royal Brompton Hospital for stronger treatment. While we were there, we saw children with even more severe conditions. One little girl had been born with only half a heart and was unlikely to live into her teenage years. Another newborn's heart was exposed, covered only by a thin layer of what looked like cling film. Those images stay with you.

And just recently, while at soft play, Florence said “Mummy, my heart is beating fast". The pulse oximeter showed her heart rate was racing, and once we were in hospital, the ECG confirmed she was in SVT again. Surrounded by doctors, she was prepared for adenosine - a drug that deliberately stops the heart for a moment before allowing it to restart in a normal rhythm. It's called chemical cardioversion, and it works in the same way as an electric shock, only through medication. Watching a team of doctors prepare to stop your child's heart, even for a few milliseconds, is terrifying. Thankfully, her heart returned to a normal sinus rhythm, but she had to stay in hospital for monitoring.

As parents, these moments are incredibly stressful. They remind us daily why research and treatment are so vital. The British Heart Foundation funds life-saving work into heart and circulatory diseases, giving children like Florence the chance of a healthy future.

I've been blown away by the support so far - we've raised over £2,100. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. If you'd like to add to that, even the cost of a coffee makes a difference.

Thanks for reading, and wish me luck - I'm going to need it!