Ipswich: Mum takes to saddle for brave little Mya

KESGRAVE: At just five months old, little Mya has gone through more in her short life than most other people do in a lifetime.

She was diagnosed with a heart murmur shortly after she was born on June 27, although it appeared to be nothing to worry about.

But less than four weeks later, when a health visitor spotted the baby was still not back up to her birth weight, it turned out the situation was more serious.

Mya has a 4.5mm hole in her heart – known as a ventricular septal defect – and has already endured inpatient stays at Ipswich Hospital.

She cannot be around other children because she is so prone to infection, and if she does not improve, she could need an operation.

To help children like Mya, mum Donna is taking on a sponsored 100-mile horse ride along the Suffolk coast to raise �3,000 towards the �40,000 Happy Hearts appeal for an ultrasound cardiac scanner at Ipswich Hospital’s children’s ward.

Donna, 26, who lives in The Walk, Kesgrave, with partner Adam Row, will start the ride from Lowestoft on June 20, arriving at the hospital just a couple of days before Mya’s first birthday.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/ donna-edwards-and-teddi.

n Are you raising money for a charity close to your heart? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk