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Dartford mum raises £1,000 for Cardiomyopathy UK while husband waits for a new heart

A woman whose husband is in hospital awaiting a new heart has been busy doing her bit to help others in the same situation, raising more than £1,000 for the Cardiomyopathy UK charity.

Kirsty Gordon-Thomas, assistant manager of Basepoint in Dartford, was one of 300 walkers to take part in the 21st annual KM charity walk on June 26.

She was crowned the highest individual fundraiser managing to crowdsource £1,043.86 for the charity which supports sufferers of all types of cardiomyopathy.

Kirsty Gordon-Thomas was the highest fundraiser on the day raising more than £1k for Cardiomyopathy UK.
Kirsty Gordon-Thomas was the highest fundraiser on the day raising more than £1k for Cardiomyopathy UK.

When her husband Lindsey, 32, had a cardiac arrest in February 2014, his life was saved at Darent Valley Hospital after staff performed CPR.

It was there he was diagnosed with the very same condition as footballer Fabrice Muamba, who suffered an arrest on the pitch and received global attention. It is also the exact strain of cardiomyopathy which ended the career of professional cricketer James Taylor.

Cardiomyopathy is a hereditary illness meaning both of Kirsty and Lindsey’s children carry a 50% chance of developing the disease.

The Gordon-Thomas family at St Thomas' Hospital, in London.
The Gordon-Thomas family at St Thomas' Hospital, in London.

Kirsty, 31, said: “It was a pleasure to raise money for such a charity which is particularly close to my heart.

“This will massively improve awareness around the disease and the charity. My husband was born with cardiomyopathy; if we had known about it sooner it may not be so severe.

“As a young family dealing with the possibility of losing our husband and daddy while we fight for a place on the heart transplant list, this means so much to us.”

Before joining the ranks of Basepoint, which offers space to rent to small businesses, Kirsty carried out a lot of charity work for Cardiomyopathy UK by running a support group, as she felt it was the only way to help Lindsey and to spread awareness of the charity.

Grant-making charity the ACT Foundation, which owns Basepoint, has agreed to match the amount, increasing the total to more than £2,000.

Kirsty walked the stretch with her best friend Beth Luckhurst and her children, Marli, seven, and four-year-old Jaxon, who was the youngest participant.

The walk started and ended at Mote House in Maidstone, a Grade II listed Georgian mansion with beautiful grounds which the walkers made the most of with a garden party, barbecue and live music.

Overall, £17,000 was raised for more than 30 causes and all participants were presented with limited edition medals and goodie bags.

Lindsey is waiting for a heart transplant at St Thomas’ Hospital in London but was cheering Kirsty and the children on from the ward.

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