Lee Clench, 31, a software engineer, is one of 2,000 people taking part in the sponsored cycle on 5-6 October. Lee’s partner Sarah, 36, was born with a congenital heart condition called a ventricular septal defect – a hole between the bottom 2 chambers of the heart. She has since developed atrial flutter, an abnormal heart rhythm which can cause her to become breathless and sometimes faint.
“Sarah had 2 open-heart surgeries by the time she was 2 years old,” said Lee. “Her family were told she wouldn’t live past the age of 18, but here she is at 36.
“In August, Sarah will have an ablation procedure to treat the atrial flutter. It’s a nerve-wracking experience for us all, but surgical techniques have become so much less invasive than before.
“I see my role as supporting her through this and making sure she’s in a safe and stable situation.”
Lee has set a minimum fundraising target of £250. £300 could pay for a day’s work on a project to build new healthy pieces of heart, which could be used in the future to treat heart failure.
Lee said: “The Manchester to Blackpool Night Ride is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, so I’m really excited and looking forward to it. It’s a decent challenge and a cause that’s very close to my heart.
“I hope the money and awareness I raise helps support research, which will improve the lives of people living with heart disease and heart defects.”
In the UK, 12 babies are diagnosed with a heart defect every day. Before BHF existed, the majority of babies born in the UK with a heart defect did not survive to their 1st birthday. Today, in part thanks to BHF-funded research, around 8 out of 10 survive to adulthood.
BHF Events Marketing Officer Matt McMahon said: “The Manchester to Blackpool Night Ride is a unique opportunity to take on a memorable challenge, with the opportunity to finish under the world famous Blackpool Illuminations, which are left on exclusively for the night. The money raised by our amazing cyclists will help us to fund research into heart and circulatory conditions such as heart disease and stroke, and the conditions which cause them, such as diabetes.”
Cyclists will set off at midnight on Saturday 5 October from the iconic Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground for the 52-mile cycle through Lancashire, finishing on Blackpool Promenade.
