As you all know, it is now just over 12 months since Richard left us; some of you may know that Richard's passing was caused by an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), something that came as a huge shock to us as he was so keen on keeping himself fit & healthy.

Alongside Kieron, Richard was my life - Our time together was full of happiness and enjoyment, he was my best friend as well as my soul mate.  We seemed to cram so much into such a short space of time; there was never a weekend that went by without the three of us spending time together.  On Sundays I was deserted while the men of the house went off to male bond… to this day Kieron still ‘kisses his guns’.  Not a day goes by when Richard isn't in our thoughts and he will be with me in my heart forever.

After we had found out the cause of Richard's sudden passing at only 29 years of age, we discovered through the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), that heart problems affecting young people under the age of 35 is far more common than we had realised. 

It is a little known fact that every week in the UK at least 12 apparently 'fit and healthy' young people pass of undiagnosed heart conditions.  

CRY aims to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death by working with cardiologists and family doctors to establish good practice and appropriate screening facilities to promote and protect the cardiac health of our young.

In addition to using your donations to fund further research into the causes of sudden death syndromes in the young such as cardiomyopethies the charity will use your donations to help fund the CRY Bereavment Support Network.

To help raise awareness and funds for the charity CRY, I have decided to push myself to the limit (keeping up the tradition of Richard's training regime) and have signed up to run the New York Marathon on the 7th of November 2010 in Richards memory!

Any donation that you are able to make, no matter how small, is crucial in helping to raise awareness about the risk of heart problems in the young. 

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you all for your support and donations.

Jo x