In Memory of Ben McDonald

Ben’s family said: “On the 7th of October 2018 our world was completely turned upside down when our brother Ben McDonald died at the finish line of the Cardiff Half Marathon. He was 25 years old, fit and healthy, and his death has left our family shattered. If you didn’t know Ben then you need to know he was amazing! He was funny, generous, caring, effortlessly cool, adventurous and always smiling, an incredible son, brother, uncle grandson and friend. If you didn’t have the chance to meet him then you missed out on someone really special.”

Sadly, Ben’s family and hundreds of other families have suffered these tragic losses and all they now have is a legacy. We need your help to reduce this suffering and turn their horrific experiences into positive change. Encourage your family, friends, colleagues to have their heart screened. We cannot hold these heart screening sessions without generous donations. Please help to support our work and donate in memory of Ben.

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Heart Month takes place in February, and we're encouraging the entire nation to support the Go Red initiative, raising funds to contribute to our work providing heart screenings accessible to anyone in the UK.

Every three minutes in the UK, somebody loses a loved one to a heart or circulatory disease. These diseases can strike unexpectedly, causing devastation within families. But with your support this Heart Month, we can change this.

Your support during Heart Month can make a difference. Whether it's organising red-themed events, like red cakes and costumes, or participating in red-faced running challenges, there are various ways to raise funds and contribute to ground-breaking research. Join us in Going Red for Heart Month this February, and together, we can help save lives by keeping more hearts beating across the UK.

 

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TAKE PART IN A SPORTING EVENT IN AID OF CALON HEARTS.

This year, why not take part in a sporting event? Your participation will help to raise funds to contribute to our work providing heart screenings accessible to anyone in the UK.

This could be a race, a fun run, a bike ride, a charity match, a hike, a climb, a swim or even a Zumbathon. There are various ways to raise funds and contribute to ground-breaking research. Join us and together, we can help save lives by keeping more hearts beating across the UK.

Every three minutes in the UK, somebody loses a loved one to a heart or circulatory disease. These devastating diseases can strike unexpectedly. But, by taking part in My Char-a-thon, we can change this.

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Gold Hearts will be shining brightly across Wales this festive season and into the New Year, symbolising the lives of those special to us.

Hearts of Gold is a charity Christmas campaign of special events organised by Calon Hearts Screening and Defibrillators that takes place during the festive period of November and December.

 

Christmas is a time when people are thinking of happy times shared with their loved ones. To help celebrate, honour and remember the lives of loved ones no longer with us due to a heart condition we have created our Hearts of Gold Christmas Appeal

 

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On July 21, 2016, Michael died during a school organised cycling pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Despite being physically fit, Michael suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition and died completely unexpectedly and tragically from a suspected heart attack.

Michael was 16 years old and thoroughly enjoying his life; full of dreams and ambitions and getting ready to embark on a career in healthcare with his plan of taking up medicine in university. He loved serving God as an altar server since he was seven, first at the Sacred Heart Parish in Morriston, Swansea, and then at the Cathedral Church of St. Joseph’s in Swansea. He enjoyed working with children in his role as a Volunteer Youth Helper with the HCPT, a charitable organisation that gives life-changing pilgrimage holidays to Lourdes, France for disabled and disadvantaged children and adults.

As is so often the case, his family learned a great deal more about him from the stories of friends and those who knew him in different ways. They talk of his gentleness and unfailing consideration for others, of those qualities that earned him the description of being a true gentleman.

Others saw in him the simple faith that made his life so worthwhile, so fulfilled and so rewarding. He demonstrated so naturally his belief in Christian values and morality and for those who recognise him only from his duties as an altar server no one could have doubted his absolute sincerity.

Perhaps what illustrates his qualities better than anything was the account of one of his fellow helpers on an HCPT trip to Lourdes when Michael gave his own shoes to a young pilgrim whose shoes were wet. What most touched that witness was that Michael continued the journey barefoot and without complaint.

Maybe that was what he was all about… only very much more.

 

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