Jade Maria Fundraising Page

Hi, my name is Jade. I was born with Transposition of the great arteries with large VSD, small right ventricle and pulmonary stenosis

At the young age of 15 months, I had open heart surgery involving a modified Fontan procedure to partially correct these problems.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontan_procedure)

Despite everything, I've never felt any different from anyone else, and have never really thought about how serious my surgery really was. I never let it hold me back! I have always been very active, having played in 2 competitive hockey teams, and even represented NZ in cheerleading in USA - both of which required intense and vigorous training.

Unfortunately, in 2009 I got swine flu, and have been left with a side effect of extra heart beats, which is proving a little hard to shake. This is not life threatening at all, but I have been in and out of hospital over the last year, trialling different medications and trying to at least reduce those extra beats in some way. This has had a big impact on my life, leaving me tired, dizzy, and just not being able to do my everyday things with ease.

In December 2010, I decided I was going to climb the Pinnacles, in the Coromandel. My cardiologist, who probably knew I wouldn't take no for an answer, eventually gave me the go ahead about a week before I was due to leave. Now, climbing the Pinnacles is a walk that, after having to climb 47 massive flights of stairs, takes you over 700m above sea level. This walk has a rough time of 5 hours …… I managed to do it 3 and a half hours. I was ecstatic! not only had I reached the top, but I did it in a fraction of the time - the feeling I had was of pure achievement and joy, and I am so proud to say that I actually did it!

Since getting swine flu, I haven't been able to run for more than a few minutes, as the feeling of those extra beats can be both unpleasant and intense. But, now, after conquering the Pinnacles, I feel a lot stronger, especially in myself. So….

My new goal: I want to run at least half, if not the full 10km of the Auckland quarter marathon.

There are a lot of people out there who are worse off than I am, but I am fortunate enough to be in a position to do this. So, I've signed up as a Heart Racer to raise money to support the Heart Foundation. All proceeds go towards making a better life for all those who would have little or no chance without the Heart Foundation. By donating through my webpage you will be helping them continue the vital work in research, cardiac rehabilitation, education programmes and resources. It's going to be a hard 6 months of training, but I will keep you updated along the way. I really would love your support, as knowing that I am fundraising for the heart foundation will really give me that extra motivation to achieve my goal.

So, please could you sponsor me?
My goal is to raise $1000, so even $5 or $10 will go a long way in helping me achieve this and ultimately help the Heart Foundation in their work!

Select the "Make a donation" button below. It's simple, fast and totally secure and the money goes directly to the Heart Foundation's bank account.

If you live in New Zealand your donation is tax deductible and a receipt will be issued.

So please help me today! And pass it on to your family and friends!

Many thanks for your support