JAMES HAGGERTY MEMORIAL FUND - James was just 13 when he went out with his friend in March 2009 and collapsed whilst playing.  He was given CPR by his friend's dad, paramedics and at the hospital to no avail.  A post mortem at Great Ormond Street Hospital showed he had ALCAPA (anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery).  We were told that 1 in 300,000 babies are born with this congenital heart condition and 85% of those die within the first two years of life. He was a healthy and fit young man with no symptoms whatsoever. We now know that we were extremely lucky to have had him for 13 years but that doesn't ease the sadness that we now feel.

James' dad Russell is doing a sponsored bike ride along with 33 friends and work colleagues from Battle, East Sussex to Lille in France between 19 - 22 August 2010.  We are trying to raise £13k to sponsor two mobile screening units to visit our area to screen young adults to stop this from happening to another family.

Please dig deep into your pockets and sponsor us for what could be a life changing event for a young person, it could even save a life, in memory of our son James Haggerty.

We have already raised over £6.5k for the Conquest Hospital, Hastings who tried desperately to save James.  This money has been used to buy heart monitoring equipment for the paediatric unit and a James Haggerty Suite will be opened shortly. 

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 - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you.

Jackie Haggerty