A Bourne End mother will take on a gruelling 56 mile run along the Thames Path to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Alexa Broude is taking on the challenge that she has dubbed ‘home from home’ ultra-marathon for the hospital who saved her sons life in April 2018, when surgeons carried out open-heart surgery.

George, Alexa’s son, was born with a rare congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s Anomaly and also had a hole in his heart. Cardiac specialists operated on George to repair his heart and despite initially being a success, George was then rushed into hospital for a second time and operated on again after being diagnosed with a secondary heart condition.

Alexa said: “Great Ormond Street Hospital has saved and transformed our son George’s life not just once but several times. GOSH not only support us as parents but also Alice, George’s older sister.

“The hospital is a very unique and strangely joyful place and feels like our second home. We walk through the corridors of the hospital and we end up stopping to talk to staff, families and volunteers we have met through George’s heart journey.

“Whilst we stayed at the hospital, the parent and family accommodation provided by the GOSH charity was a much-needed space away from the hospital to gather our thoughts with added benefit of the home comforts.

“Running these ultra-distances and raising funds for GOSH is the least I can do to give back for what GOSH have and are currently doing for George and our family.”

For more information about the event and to donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/goshgeorgebroudeteam