A HARROW couple have raised thousands of pounds for charity after drawing inspiration from their young son.
Neeta and Sundeep Saggar raised a phenomenal £16,000 for the children’s heart charity Little Hearts Matter.
The couple were inspired to put on a spectacular dinner and dance event in Harrow on 16 March by their 20 month old son Eshaan who has a complex heart condition.
Little Hearts Matter offers supports and information to all children and their families, across the country, born with non-correctable and complex heart conditions – basically half a functioning heart.
Eshaan has already undergone open-heart surgery is likely to need another operation at three years old. His parents describe the support they received from Little Hearts Matter as a ‘lifeline’ which gave them vital information and a network of support.
Both Neeta and Sundeep are passionate about raising awareness amongst the Asian community.
As British Asian parents they have experienced that talking openly about their child’s heart condition is often seen as a taboo. They want to change these attitudes so that they can empower other Asian families with the knowledge of these conditions and through this help them to feel less isolated.
Neeta said: “We are so proud of our son. He inspires us each day.
"We want to reach more families from the Asian community that might need support from a charity like Little Hearts Matter. We are so grateful to all the support we received on the night from sponsors, friends and our families. Without them it wouldn’t have possible. We know the money raised will help more children and their families with half a functioning heart.”
Suzie Hutchinson, Chief Executive, Little Hearts Matter added: “We can’t thank Neeta and Sundeep enough for their on-going support. This is a fantastic achievement and the funds raised will go directly towards helping other families and children.
"The Saggar are wonderful ambassadors for Little Hearts Matter and act as a powerful voice within their community and beyond.”
Children born with these complex heart conditions require open-heart surgery within days, or even hours of being born and many face a heart transplant as they move into adult life.
However, today, there are young people in their late teens and early adulthood thanks to the innovative surgery that has been developed over the last twenty years.