Breaking World Records for a Cause

In August 2018 we were notified that our three-month-old daughter was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) with an absent pulmonary valve - a combination of heart defects that were present from birth and affect the structure of the heart that causes oxygen-poor blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body. Along with ToF, it was discovered that she had an absent pulmonary valve. We were told that she would need to have open-heart surgery before she turned one.

At an angiogram the day before her surgery, we were informed that our little girl also had five holes in her heart. On the 7th of February 2019, Our daughter had her successful open-heart surgery at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital in South Africa in a procedure that lasted 6 hours.

The reason for my post is that we have a positive story with a happy ending which is not always the case. During the 4 days that she was in ICU, We met many families that were visiting children with similar heart conditions. We witnessed situations where families didn’t get the chance to hold their babies before they were rushed off to surgery only to lose them in theatre. We also met families from different walks of life that would end up with a lifetime of paying off medical bills due to not being on a medical plan with suitable coverage for Congenital Heart conditions. We were also made aware of families that would not be able to pay for the surgery and as a result, their children would not survive. If we were not on a medical plan that covered the operation we would have had to pay roughly one Million Rand (€57k) before they would have agreed to operate.

My concern during this time was for all the families that were digging themselves into a financial hole that they would probably spend the rest of their lives in and the families that would lose their children because they cannot afford the surgery. At the time I wished I could help at least one family but due to our emigration to Ireland and the uncertainty of what impact that would have on our finances I was not in a position to be able to do this.

In July 2023 I broke the world record cycling from the Easternmost point of Ireland (Wicklow Head Lighthouse) to the Westernmost tip (Slea Head) a total distance of roughly 390km by just over 45 minutes. In July 2024 I plan to break three works records in one day (E-W across Wales, E-W across England and E-W across the UK which is approximately 590km (367 Miles)

Once again I plan to use this world record attempt to raise funds for the Maboneng Foundation. This Foundation is a non-profit fundraising vehicle, raising money to sponsor life-saving surgeries for South African children suffering from Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) and other life-threatening heart conditions. Visit their website for more information http://www.mabonengfoundation.co.za