Back in January 2022 I needed life-saving open heart surgery due to catastrophic damage to my coronary arteries caused by Kawasaki's disease. My story is quite literally a one in a million, and a scary one at that but I am getting back to full heart health! Recovering in the last year has been tough but one year later I have now been given the all clear by my amazing cardiology team to push myself even harder and work towards the goal of completing the 3 Yorkshire peak hike. We will climb the 3 Yorkshire peaks in under 12 hours, ascending 1585m over the course of 24 miles, not quite a marathon, eek! I am in training and having goal is really helping my cardiac rehab.

Kawasaki Disease is an immune syndrome that normally affects children under the age of 5 and it is the leading cause of acquired heart disease for paediatric patients in developed countries. However, with treatment, few children have lasting cardiac damage...if it is caught in time. I want to raise money to increase the awareness of the disease by educating doctors so that no child develops the associated heart disease as well as supporting people with a history of Kawasaki Disease.

My diagnosis being missed aged 20 was no surprise as it’s exceptionally rare in adults, however, diagnosing the heart disease in my 30s has been a real journey. I was lucky enough to be seen by one of the world's leading experts in KD and he was the first person to recognise the diagnostic features in my heart. I have since read that KD should be considered for any young person with acquired heart disease and I want to get the message out there! Young dodgy ticker?…think Kawasaki!