On April 21st 2013 i will be running the London Marathon in memory of my brave nephew Luke Jenkins. Luke sadly passed away in April last year, following complications after major heart surgery. Luke had always said he wanted to be a Doctor when he grew up to help other children like him. As a family, we have decided to follow out his wishes by raising money for charity.

Luke was born with congenital heart disease (half a heart) which meant he would face many major operations & procedures. Throughout his life, Luke attended 3 different hospitals which were the University Hospital of Wales Cardiff where he had a close relationship with his cardiologist Dr Uzun. All of his heart operations were completed in Bristol Childrens hospital. Finally, Luke attended Great Ormond Street hospital for surgery & outpatients.

Luke proved to everyone that he was a fighter from the very beginning . He would soldier through each & every operation with no complaint – Just a big smile on his face! He was always eager to get on with life so that he could go play. Luke was loved by everyone who knew him. He was very close to his brother & two sisters & was very popular at school. Luke was such a happy boy with a mischievous smile & amazing personality. He was always positive & determined, which he proved by overcoming many hurdles.

In 2009 Luke suffered a major setback following a standard cardiac catheter procedure, leaving him quadriplegic. The medical staff said he would never recover or walk again. This is where we saw the true spirit of Luke as he fought back & regained most of his mobility defying all the odds & was also able to walk again unaided!

On Luke's final open heart surgery in March 2012 the procedure was initially a success, however there were numerous complications. Following this, on the 9th of April 2012 Luke sadly lost his fight for life with half a heart.

After Luke passed away, the Heath Hospital in Cardiff decided to create a charity in honour of Luke. He was a very popular patient & had always shown a keen interest in his diagnosis & all things medical – He especially enjoyed watching Casualty & Holby City! All money raised from my run will go to The Luke Jenkins Paediatric Cardiac Fund - (number 9410) & will offer support to Children like Luke with heart conditions. It will help raise vital funds for the unit for supplies to make their visits to hospital as comfortable and happy as possible.

I'm so very proud of Luke for everything he was & has achieved in his life. He is a true inspiration to all of us. For those of you who know me, you'll be aware that I am the not the most athletic person, therefore embarking on a marathon will be a big challenge for me. Luke's enthusiasm will be my sole drive throughout this whole experience. If Luke was determined enough to learn to walk again, then i'm sure I can push myself to cover 26 miles.

Every single donation will be gratefully received & you can be sure that it'll go a long way to helping this very deserving charity.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you for all of your support!

If you would like to read more about Lukes story, please visit: www.lukejenkins.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

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