5.7km for Mosiah

5.7km for Mosiah

The event: is the 5.7km Gold Coast Suncorp run.

Held: on July 6th 2013.

Our aim: is to raise $3000.

Our purpose: to bring more awareness to Congenital Heart Disease in memory of Mosiah, and to raise funds for the Heart Centre for Children so they can help more children like him.

Glen and Nichole running 5.7km together you say? Well yes it's true but we have a great motivation - our son Mosiah who died on the 18th of March 2009 from a congenital heart disease called Hypoplastic Left Heart Sydnrome.

The purpose of our run is to raise more awareness of Congenital Heart Disease. Here are the facts:

• Congenital heart disease is the greatest killer of Australian kids under one
• Every day in Australia around six babies are born with a heart defect.  That's over 2000 each year.
• Every week, four precious lives are lost.
• There is no known cure or prevention.
• So if there is no cure what's the point you ask? Let me tell you there is great reason for raising funds. There are ways to prolong a child's life, allow them to live a long and happy life and for there loved ones to enjoy a life with them in it.  They will never be 'cured' but with medical advances, they can live many years close to normalcy.
• Unfortunately for Glen and I we are one of those families who don't get to enjoy a life with our son. I will give you a bit of a background on things so you can see why we are so passionate about raising as much as we can.

At my 20 week scan we were told our son had congenital heart disease and a double bubble in his stomach (Duodenal Atresia).  We endured a very emotional pregnancy where I had to have 1.5L of amniotic fluid extracted, due to the stomach issue, and being admitted to hospital at 32 weeks for daily observation. At 1:52am on Wednesday 11 March 2009, Mosiah came into this world at 34 weeks weighing a healthy 6lb11oz. Despite all odds, he came out breathing on his own.

Mosiah was born with only a half a heart - what they call Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Mosiah underwent his stomach surgery the following day with success. On the Friday they performed open heart surgery where things didn't go as well. He was forced to be on bypass for 8 hours and so his heart was not as strong as the medical team had hoped. He was then placed on a machine that pumps for the heart called an ECMO machine, which he was later taken off and given the opportunity to allow his heart to work on its own. He fought as hard as he could but began to lose the battle. On Tuesday the 17th at approximately 5pm Mosiah went into cardiac arrest. They managed to revive him but warned us of the effects following an already weak heart having to endure a cardiac arrest for 8mins. On Wednesday 18 March at 1:52am myself and one of his regular nurses sang Happy 1 Week Birthday to my strong little fighter with daddy sleeping by his side. At approximately 3am we watched our son again go into cardiac arrest where after 13min he gave up the fight and we said goodbye to our little boy.

We don't want other families to have to endure what we did. Medical advances are being made every day that can help children born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. This is why we are running! Imagine if this was your child, grandchild, brother, sister, cousin or friend, wouldn't you do every thing in your power to help.

Please dig deep, every penny counts and I promise you, Glen and I will run our best on July 6th 2013.  Click here to donate.

Thank you all!

From Glen, Nichole, Jared, Owen and of course our baby boy Mosiah (A moment in our arms, forever in our hearts he will stay)