My cousin, sadly lost her son, Ruben, at just 3 and half months old due to dilated cardiomyopathy.

This June Sam and I will be taking on the 10 mile challenge, helping her to hopefully surpass the halfway mark of their target!

A little about Ruben:
Ruben was born with GACI (Generalized arterial calcification of infancy), which causes high blood pressure and a strain on the heart. This ultimately caused him to suffer with dilated cardiomyopathy which is an enlarged heart that is unable to pump the blood round the body effectively. He fought so hard to stay alive. However fate was not on his side and he passed away on the 12 January 2022.

Charlotte & Patrick have since established Ruben's Fund with the aim of raising £200,000 to enable the team at Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital to set up a dedicated research project, which will provide valuable knowledge into genetic cardiomyopathy, which effects 1 in 100,000 babies, to better treat and manage this condition.

As most paediatric cardiomyopathy remains genetically unexplained, there is an urgent need to better understand genetic susceptibility and underlying disease mechanisms. To help avoid situation’s that Ruben’s family found themselves in.

Anything you can contribute to help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Max and Sam

Max Dyer