LITTLE STAR KEEPS THE BEAT
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY News release
18th April 2011
Little Logan Whiteley underwent major open heart surgery just 10 days before his first birthday after being diagnosed with Fallots Tetralogy (congenital heart disease) at just six weeks old.
Now children, staff and parents at The Old Station Nursery in Waterside South where Logan, who will be two next month, attends are holding a fundraiser this week to mark the first anniversary of Logan’s operation and to raise money and awareness for a cause close to their hearts.
The nursery is to stage a Red Day on Thursday 21st April in aid of Keep the Beat, a charity which “gives hope to broken hearts” by supporting the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre at Glenfield Hospital and by offering support and information to children affected by congenital heart disease and their families.
The staff and children will be wearing red on the day and will take part in a variety of activities and party games including pass the heart, hunt the heart in the nursery garden, musical statues and dancing.
The children will also get to decorate hearts, play with red jelly and red sparkly play dough and decorate red cakes before selling them to parents to raise money.
Logan’s mum Stacey Whiteley of Bunkers Hill, Lincoln said: “We wanted to mark the anniversary of Logan’s operation with a day of fun and fund-raising so we approached The Old Station Nursery for help in putting together an event.
“To know Keep the Beat provides hope, support and information to families like ours means everything and we have full belief in Keep the Beat and its future aims.
“We’re so proud of Logan and he’s come on in leaps and bounds since his operation last April; he still faces the possibility of surgery in the future but he is a happy, active and chatty toddler who enjoys his time at nursery.
“He became a big brother to his baby sister Darcie at the end of last year and loves drawing and painting so will certainly have lots of fun decorating hearts ready for the fund-raising day!”
As well as raising money on the day the family also hope to raise awareness of congenital heart defects and the work that is done by Keep the Beat and Glenfield Hospital which serves an area including Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, parts of Warwickshire and South Yorkshire.
The future of Glenfield Hospital is currently under threat owing to the NHS Safe and Sustainable review which will see the 11 children’s heart centres in England and Wales cut to just six or seven.
The loss of these purpose-built life-saving facilities at Glenfield would mean care for families across the region would transfer to Birmingham, London or elsewhere.
By lending support to the Hold on to Our Hearts campaign – launched to show the importance of the children’s heart centre – you could help save it.
“We never dreamt of needing a facility like this for our child,” said Stacey, “For the sake of our region and all the heart children past, present and future, please back the campaign and choose Glenfield Option A in the NHS public consultation for the future of children's heart surgery in England and Wales. Everyone’s opinion counts, let yours be heard.”
To make a donation to Keep the Beat go to Logan’s Virgin Money Giving page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LogansFundraisingPage or visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com and search for Logan Whiteley’s fundraising page.
Notes to editors
- To find out more about Keep the Beat visit www.keepthebeat.co.uk
- The Old Station Nursery Ltd was founded by Sarah Steel in 2002 and now runs 15 settings across England.
- The company won the Business Development category of the Nursery World Awards in November 2008 and was shortlisted for the Nursery Chain of the Year award.
- To find out more visit www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk.
Holly Tyrrell
01522 528540
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