‘Its all the small parts that aid to one big journey’- Kettering cardiologists to climb Snowden for children’s heart charity
A group of Kettering health workers are braving the six hour walk up Snowden, or Yr Wyddfa, this summer to help improve the lives of children living with heart conditions.
“We’re all working on the Friday until 6pm and then getting to Snowden for 6am on Saturday, so we’re not going to get much sleep,” Lucy Taylor, the cardiac physiologist leading the fundraising climb said.
Mrs Taylor, along with 20 cardiac professionals from Kettering General Hospital, will walk up the highest mountain in Wales on June 21 to raise money for the Evelina Children’s Heart Organisation.
ECHO supports children with heart conditions, whether diagnosed prenatally or during childhood, throughout their early years and into their adult lives.
The independent charity helps young people and families receiving treatment at Evelina London, the Royal Brompton and 47 network hospitals, which is the UK’s largest congenital heart disease network.
From food provision, wellbeing and activity sessions, cardiac antenatal classes, equipment for Evelina London Children’s Hospital, play equipment, bereavement support and heart community events, the organisation offers a wide range of services for children and their loved ones at every stage of their heart journey.
“They do a lot of things that people don’t realise, Mrs Taylor said.
“They try and support families with things that they don’t necessarily have to think about at the forefront of their mind when they have a sick child.
As families at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital may have to stay for eight to nine months, ECHO can help to arrange or fund accommodation and the charity also holds events throughout the year to help put families in touch who are going through similar experiences.
As a volunteer for the charity, ECHO is close to Mrs Taylor’s heart, and she hopes that the climb up Snowden will help people become more aware of all that the small organisation does for young people on their heart journeys.
“We wanted to support a paediatric service that’s going through the same as ourselves,” she said.
No single day is the same for Mrs Taylor and the Cardiac Investigations Team at KGH. A typical day can involve conducting standard diagnostics tests or ultrasounds at 8am before having to rush to respond to a patient suffering a heart attack.
“It’s a lot, but a very rewarding job,” Mrs Taylor said.
The 24-year-old is hopeful that their fundraising efforts can help people learn how complex heart journeys can be, and that it can involve far more than simply needing a pacemaker.
“There’s a lot more to a cardiac journey than people understand, the health worker said.
“It’s about changing the way of life. It’s about starting new medication, it’s about changing the way that a family works if you have to take medications three four or five times a day.”
The 20-strong-team of cardiac professionals will make their way up Snowden this summer. Whilst Mrs Taylor said that they weren’t looking forward to the early start, they are excited to see how the money they raise will help support ECHO.
The group are most excited to shine a light on those living with a heart condition and everyone who supports them on their journey.
“It’s nurses, doctors, it’s the families, siblings, the patient, the physiologist. There’s a lot of us that work behind the scenes. Its all the small parts that aid to one big heart journey,” Mrs Taylor said.
“I think that’s why its poignant that there’s 20 cardiac physiologists from a little town like Kettering raising money for a small London charity.”
You can donate to the team’s fundraiser here.