We are celebrating heart hero Isabel (8) who has just won her THIRD award in recognition of her incredible fundraising for CHSF!
Isabel picked up the ‘Young Star Award’ at Crags Radio Community Star Awards after they heard about all the amazing things she’s been doing to raise money for our charity.
The Young Star Award from Crags Radio is just the latest in awards that Isabel has receive for her fundraising for CHSF.
Isabel has previously been awarded the ‘Hero of Bolsover’ presented by MP Mark Fletcher for outstanding fundraising during the Covid crisis.
Her third award was from the Community Unity Project. This is a local support group set up during COVID who presented Isabel with an award – once again for outstanding fundraising during the pandemic.
We asked Isabel’s mum Natalie to tell us a bit more about what Isabel and her family have been up to raise funds for Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and what inspires them to keep doing so…
Isabel was diagnosed my 24 week scan with a very complex heart condition. She has Tetralogy of Fallot, Double Outlet Right Ventricle and Ventricular Septal Defects.
Although we live in Creswell near Worksop, Isabel was born in Leeds and went on to have a full repair in March 2014 at 17 weeks old.
As well as having congenital heart disease, Isabel is also Autistic with Sensory Processing Disorder and Global Delay. She never stops, and we are often asked “Are you sure she’s got heart issues?”
Currently Isabel is keeping further surgery at bay by being very active and having lots of energy. We’ve been told several times of this wasn’t the case she’d have needed surgery by now. So all these charity walks are paying off!
What inspires us as a family after all these years of fundraising is that Isabel will once again need more surgery and that we will once again need to rely on having accommodation to be close to Isabel during her hospital stay, and the support provided by Childrens Heart Surgery Fund.
CHSF continually rely on fundraising to be able to carry on supporting the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit. If we can raise a few extra pounds to help them achieve this, it’s only a small part of our thanks for being able to make every day memories with Isabel
“…you only ever truly understand a charity and the work they do when you’re in a situation where you need their support.”
Some of our favourite fundraisers are the early coffee mornings and race nights and events that bring the community we live in together. We also found a few other families who also have children under Leeds Congenital Heart Unit who live in the same area.
A favourite event for Isabel’s Daddy, Kev, was helping CHSF a few years back with raising money alongside Yorkshire Cricket Foundation. We both helped at a county game selling tickets, and then Kev was invited back for an England test game again to support CHSF where he met Charity Ambassador Dickie Bird.
Some other fundraising our family has done for CHSF…
- Sheffield Half Marathon raising £511 – and now Isabel’s Daddy, Kev, and Uncle Steve have signed up for a third time to run it in 2023!
- Charity Bike Ride – From Skegness to our home in Creswell Derbyshire. That was ridden by Daddy, Uncle Steve and Grandad Phil.
- We’ve put on several coffee mornings, toy sales, raffles, race nights, ladies nights and even selling reindeer food at Christmas.
- Isabel herself has done lots of charity walks, including CHSF’s annual Superhero Walk.
We wouldn’t be able to achieve all this without the amazing support of our friends, family and the people in our community who continually support our fundraising.
My husband said a few days ago, you only ever truly understand a charity and the work they do when you’re in a situation where you need their support. CHSF supports the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit. We know Isabel will once again need further life-saving open heart surgery. For us, this a way to give something back.
Isabel’s latest fundraiser is already underway as she is taking part this year’s CHSF Superhero Walk.
We are so incredibly grateful to Isabel and the whole Morris family for all the amazing support you have given and continue to give the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. It is only because of people like you we are able to keep supporting our heart unit, patients and families thank you.
Isabel – we are so incredibly proud of you and all you have achieved. Thank you.
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