We’ve teamed-up with midfielder Sam Stanton during National Heart Month to help raise support and awareness for the British Heart Foundation.
Sam’s daughter, Nina, was welcomed into the world in July and was born with congenital heart disease (CHD).
She was soon diagnosed with a large Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) – a hole between the lower chambers of the heart that causes oxygen‑rich blood to flow backwards, forcing the heart and lungs to work harder.
Sam explained: “When our daughter was five days old, we noticed she was struggling with her breathing. We got her checked out and it turned out she had congenital heart disease.
“It was a very scary moment for us all. It is never something you want, especially for your kids. It is probably the worst news you can hear.
“It was something totally new to us when we heard the news, so we wanted as much information as possible and the British Heart Foundation were able to provide that.
“We were in the hospital a lot when Nina was first born and the support we were given was amazing. Thankfully she is doing well just now.
“Although this journey has been incredibly difficult, seeing how well Nina is doing at six months old has brought us hope.
“We still take each day as it comes, but we now feel more confident that she may avoid surgery altogether. We are deeply grateful to every healthcare professional who has supported us.”
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) provides extensive information on heart conditions, risk factors, symptoms, support groups, healthy living, events, podcasts, and more.
February’s Heart Month is especially meaningful for heart families – a time to honour loved ones, raise awareness, and advocate for research.
Sam continued: “We are obviously wanting to raise awareness for our daughter’s situation but there are also a lot of cardiac situations in football with players too.
“We want to raise as much awareness as possible. You can read all about the great work they do on their website.
“They definitely helped us through a tough time and it is nice to do something to give back to them.
“February is Heart Month and, as soon as we saw that, as a family we wanted to help raise awareness and funds for the charity.”
Sam’s family and the British Heart Foundation will be holding a bucket collection at our match against Ayr United on February 28 and any support from fans would be appreciated.
Sam added: “My family are going to come along to the Ayr game at the end of the month and do the collection. We’ll be in position at the East and Geoff Brown Stand before the match.
“If supporters can give anything, it would obviously be greatly appreciated. We are just keen to spread the word as much as we can.”
Visit the British Heart Foundation website HERE.
Donate at the JustGiving page HERE!
