We're doing the Leeds 10k in memory of Sue's 4 year old daughter, Rose, who died the day before she should have started school in September.

Rose was born with a terminal heart condition in 2019; her life expectancy was just a few days. However, Rose hadn't read that memo!

She underwent three rounds of Open-Heart Surgery; the first at 3 days old, the next at 10 months and the last in August 2023. Rose overcame some pretty horrific complications over her four years, including a stroke, seizures and paralysis down her left side, regaining virtually a full range of movement a few months later. Her indomitable spirit could not be suppressed - she was a proper Leeds girl!

Rose was an absolute force of nature; she lived life at 100 miles an hour - in technicolour dresses and denim dungarees, and everything with pockets. She was full of fun and mischief and joy. She loved singing and dancing to her favourite songs, Shakira's This Time for Africa, Alicia Keys's Girl on Fire and Ed Sheeran's Celestial.

Rose loved playing with her 'babies', tucking them up each in night in their cot next to her bed and reading them stories. Rose was the kindest little person, who gave the biggest huggles!

Heart-breakingly, even though her final Open-Heart procedure looked to be a success initially, Rose contracted an infection from which she was unable to recover.

During Rose's time in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Leeds General Infirmary, Sue and her wife, Katie, would read Rose her favourite stories to keep her spirits up.

The day before Rose died, Sue and Katie invited friends to record a favourite story on their phones and send them over to play to Rose, so she could hear the voices of everyone who loved her.

Sue and Katie have now teamed up with the Children's Heart Surgery Fund to create an electronic library for the children and their families in PICU at Leeds General Infirmary so they can enjoy stories together during some of the most frightening and stressful times of their lives. As Sue says, "Stories are perhaps the ultimate means of escape into a different world of adventure, excitement and hope. And this library will be Rose's lasting legacy."

So if you can spare a couple of quid to provide some moments of hope and fun and lightness for a child and their family who are having a pretty rubbish time, that would be brilliant.

Thanks a million,

Sue, Jane, Susannah and Collette xxxx

#teamrose

#braverkinderbetter

#bemorerose

#10Ktoday