I have chosen to run for Ruben's Fund, to support a close friend with her fund raising activities having lost her son, Ruben, at three months old in January 2022.

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart that affects around 1 in 100,000 infants, with dilated cardiomyopathy accounting for over half of those cases. It is a serious condition, with a high burden on the child and family, and sadly a high mortality rate.

The money will be going towards a research project, which will allow the specialist research team at Royal Brompton to set up a focused and dedicated project to research genetic diagnosis, which can help predict disease course, open avenues for personalised treatment, and have implications for family screening.

To date they have raised £165,000, with the overall target being £200,000. Tim Lightfoot