PARENTS of a Helena Romanes School student are kitting up to run a half marathon for the charity that saved his life.

Carole and Simon Rose will be taking part in the London Half Marathon on Sunday (October 7) to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The charity has been a huge support to the family after their son Jack was rushed into hospital to undergo emergency keyhole heart surgery last year.

“It was the diagnosis no parent wants to hear,” Mrs Rose told the Broadcast.

“We took Jack to A&E because he had a rash all over him – he had HSP so we thought it was that but the doctors couldn’t work out why his blood pressure was so high.

“He got over the HSP but his blood pressure was still high so he was referred to a heart specialist. We didn’t know why.

“Then the doctor told us Jack’s artery was closed so the blood wasn’t getting through so he needed emergency heart surgery. That was around Christmas, and in January 2011 he had the surgery.

“It’s scary to think that if we hadn’t taken him to hospital he could have collapsed but you wouldn’t know he had a heart condition now. He will need another surgery when he’s 15 but he does all the things other children to do like ride his bike.”

Since Jack’s surgery the Rose family has been fundraising for the British Heart Foundation and have been able to hand over a cheque for �1,660, following raffles from Carole’s cooking school Cookies and donations from St Mary’s Primary School and Dunmow Theatre School.

However, Mrs Rose said it was not because of Jack that she decided to do something.

“When we were in the hospital we saw so many babies and adults who were a lot worse off than Jack. When you see something like that you say to yourself ‘I want to help’.

“The British Heart Foundation’s work is vital because without the research and technology they wouldn’t be able to do the things it does and Jack probably wouldn’t be here.”

To donate, visit justgiving.com/carole-simon