On the 8th of October, I will be running or possibly shuffling around the Royal Parks half-marathon thankfully with two of my amazing colleagues Anna and Suzanne.

The 13th of November 2023 marks 10 years since our son Seb suffered a cardiac arrest during a school swimming lesson, a day that is etched in our memories forever. I want to pay tribute to Seb's amazing swimming coach, Steve, who saved Seb's life that day. Seb spent 4 days in intensive care, where it became apparent that something was wrong with his heart. We were transferred to the Royal Brompton and placed under the care of the amazing Dr Jan Till. Seb spent 4 weeks on Rose Ward at the Royal Brompton undergoing many tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest. He was diagnosed with a cardiac Arryhtima and underwent surgery to implant a cardiac defibrillator. Seb was eventually discharged from the hospital 3 days before his 8th Birthday. Life for us as a family had changed and for Sebastian coping with the new norm was incredibly challenging at times. Seb was so sporty, he loved everything about sport and to be suddenly faced with restrictions on his sporting life was incredibly tough. It is now 10 years on and Seb is nearly 18 years old. He is the bravest young man who has challenged life to the full and most importantly managed to play so much of his beloved sport. Seb faced another emergency hospital admission last year to fix and replace his defibrillator. This was incredibly scary for him, but the amazing staff on the children's Rose Ward were fantastic, even making his bed longer to fit all 6ft 3 of him! Seb is now transitioning from paediatrics to adults and, as such, his next admission will be to the adult ward.

I want to raise some money to say thank you to the amazing hospital which has been there for us as a family every step of our journey through the highs and the lows! We simply would not have been able to get through the last 10 years without the support and care of the incredible staff at the Royal Brompton.

We would be really grateful for any donations so we can help make a difference to another family who may be going through something similar with a child who has a life-threatening cardiac condition.

The Brompton Fountain Charity supports the treatment and care of seriously ill children at Royal Brompton Hospital. The charity works closely with the hospital paediatric teams and provides a wide range of vital resources and services as well as funding medical equipment and improvements to the hospital facilities.

Thank you from Kate, Malcolm, Max, and Seb xxxxx

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