Selena Kemple will by running the Mini-Marathon in June to raise funds to buy essential equipment for the Cardiac Department at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin. She came into ‘NewsFour’ to tell us the story of Abbie Rose who was born in the hospital on April 2000.

It was 21st March 2000 that the doctors told us that our unborn child had a complicated heart problem. Until the baby was born they could not tell us any details. We waited, praying and crying until 11 April when my beautiful daughter Abbie Rose was born.

She weighed 4lbs 12 oz and was immediately put into a tiny incubator with lots of different monitors. I hated the noise they made and was very confused and sad. On 30th May we were told that Abbie would have to have an operation immediately. The doctor explained to me with diagrams all the problems with her heart but I couldn’t take it in. Something inside me didn’t want to know. I just kept saying “everything will be all right.”

Abbie came home on 12 July 2000 after spending three months in hospital. She had further corrective surgery in August 2002. The operation took ten hours. The doctors were fantastic and once again I had a new child and we were home within a week.

In July 2004 Abbie went for her big operation. She died on the operating table, her little heart could take no more. Abbie in her four years of life has touched so many people’s hearts, she will live on in our hearts forever.

If you wish to run in the Mini-Marathon for this worthy cause, sponsorship cards may be obtained from Selena at 086 6015304. If you would like to make a donation to the account in AIB Bank Sandymount the details are as follows Account Name: The Vintage Baldies, Account no. 251 44011, sort code 933600.