Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, it really means a lot. I guess I should start with the main reason that I am taking on this challenge.

On 21st January 2014, my brother-in-law, Joe, and his fiancée, Charlotte had a private gender scan to determine the sex of their second child who is due on 2nd July. They were both thrilled to discover they were having a beautiful little girl who they have decided to name Harper. Shortly after this they heard some heartbreaking news that no expectant parents should ever have to hear. 

The scan had revealed a possible heart defect and it indicated that the heart had not formed properly. Before leaving that day they were referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital and were due to see a paediatric nurse with 24 hours.

At this time the family was washed with a complete contrast of emotions from sheer excitement that a little girl was going to be welcomed to the family to relentless nerves and worry as to the uncertainty of what the future will hold for our little girl.

The news from GOSH didn't get any better but their optimism was reassuring to everyone. Great Ormond Street Hospital has a world renowned reputation for the outstanding work, love and support they provide for ill children facing life threatening situations. We knew we were in good hands. 

They went on to explain the babies condition to Joe and Charlotte and kept them fully informed on how the next year will be likely to play out. Harper has a rare and complex heart condition call Left Atrial Isnomerism and common AV Junction (LAI). This means there is no separation between the top two chambers of her heart. That means her heart just works as a left side, rather than a left and a right. Our little princess is at risk of Bradycardia (a heart block) so may need a pacemaker when she is born. To fix her poorly heart, she'll need to be operated on twice (minimum) before she is five months old. The heart condition will cause for her stomach to form on the wrong side of her body. This means that there is a possibility of a bowel obstruction, which will need to be operated on again for it to be corrected. GOSH will be a home from home for Joe, Charlotte and Harper in the first few months of her life and they will providing 24 hour care to ensure our little girl makes it through this and it is for that reason that I going to be pushing myself to my limits to raise money to help this life changing facility.

The time ahead will be hard on everyone but together we will stand tall and get through this and make sure we continue our support for Harper and GOSH after she is born.

Harper was born on 21st June at 14:53 and she's absolutely beautiful, although the pregnancy went with minimal complications, the care that GOSH needs to provide to get Harper health to 100% will commence within a few months I am determined to give something back to Great Ormond Street, for everything they have done for us so far and will do in the future.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Any little helps in a big way.

Ayden.