11-Year-Old Heart Patient Aims to Raise £30,000
A schoolboy who suffers from a heart defect has asked schools to join him in his fundraising efforts for a children’s hospital.
11-year-old Huzaifah Valli, from Blackburn, has been raising money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for the last two years, following three major operations at the specialist centre.
His previous efforts revolved around Feniscowles Primary School, where he inspired pupils to wear red in the second week of February, which is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week.
But this year, after moving up to St Wilfred’s CofE Academy, he wants children across Blackburn with Darwen to get involved, and has written to the borough’s education chiefs to spread the message.
Mum Shamira, of East Park Avenue, said, “It’s gone really well in previous years and Huzaifah has been made an ambassador for Alder Hey. But we’re hoping to get all the schools involved this time, using his primary school’s motto ‘Together We Achieve More’, and will try to raise £30,000.”
The youngster was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at just two days old, and underwent open heart surgery six days later, which was then followed by a second operation after 18 months.
In August 2012, doctors noticed his heart was skipping a beat and fitted a pacemaker to regulate his heart beat, during further surgery which lasted nine hours. If he was to fall ill again, however, he will require a heart transplant.
Last year, football-mad Huzaifah, who cannot play sport as he struggles to breathe, raised about £700 by walking his own ‘marathon’, in which he circled the pitch at Ewood Park for nearly two hours with his classmates.
This brought his fundraising total to nearly £4,000, which has gone to the Heart Centre at Alder Hey, the referral centre for congenital heart defects in the North West. He was also recently chosen as a ball boy at the recent Liverpool FC All-Stars game at Anfield.
If you would like to donate, go to justgiving.com and search for ‘Huzaifah Valli’.
