This October, I will be walking 10 miles to support and raise money for Ruben's Fund< which was set up by our friend, after she lost her baby boy last January. He would have been 2 years old on the 29 September, and we had hoped our boys could grow up together as Jonty's only a couple of months younger. However, Ruben only got to spend 3 1/2 months with his family.

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 life was short, however, his life inspired - his mum, Charlotte, set up Ruben's Fund and after raising £153,000 in a year and a half, has now won the London Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year Award.

Why £200,000?
This is 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.

Most paediatric cardiomyopathy remains genetically unexplained, and 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. Thank You

Dan Watkins