• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Donate now
  • About Tiny Tickers
  • Media Centre
  • Contact Us
Tiny Tickers

Tiny Tickers

Donate now
  • Support & Info
        • Support & Info

          Wherever you are on your journey, we’re here to offer the support and information you need.

          Find out more
        • What is Congenital Heart Disease?
        • Family Support
        • Are you pregnant?
        • Are you pregnant?
        • Just had a baby?
        • Has your baby got a heart defect?
        • Think HEART
        • Bereavement
        • Useful Resources
  • Professionals
        • Professionals

          We are here to help healthcare professionals improve the detection and treatment of congenital heart defects.

          Find out more
        • Sonographer Cardiac Training
          Our trainer, Niki, with sonographers from Russell Hall Hospital
        • Training services
        • Tiny Tickers' Yorkshire Sonographer Training Project to detect heart conditions
        • Training Resources
        • Cardiac Resources
        • The first Tiny Tickers funded pulse oximetry machine, at Good Hope Hospital
        • Pulse Oximetry Resources
        • Think HEART & Think 20
        • Resources Order Form
  • Get Involved
        • Get Involved

          Whatever your skills and interests, there is a way for you to make a difference to babies with heart problems.

          Find out more
        • Donate
        • Donate
        • Give a gift in your will
        • Our Appeals
        • Challenge events
        • Corporate Support
        • Fundraise
        • Share Your story
        • Play our lottery
  • Blogs and News
  • Your Stories
  • About Tiny Tickers
        • Our Work
        • Our Plans & Ambitions
        • How We Are Funded
        • Meet Team Tiny Tickers
        • Join Our Team
        • Our Values
        • Tiny Tickers’ Annual Reports
  • Media Centre
        • Brand Guidelines
        • CHD Statistics and Research
        • Family Stories
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Blog / What a Great North Runner !!

What a Great North Runner !!

2nd May 2017 in BlogAdult CHD Stories

At 20 years old, the inspirational Joseph Barry has joined Team Tiny Tickers to help raise vital lifesaving funds and awareness that there is hope after a diagnosis of CHD.

From this…..

In his own words, Joe will be keeping us updated with his training and race story between now and September 10th as he takes on the challenge of the 13.1 miles that is the Great North Run.  Here is the first instalment……

For some strange reason I’ve decided to take on the Great North Run in September (with my cardiologists approval)

I am running it in aid of Tiny Tickers, a charity which aims to increase the early detection of cardiac condition in newborns. At the minute 1 in 3 newborns born with a heart condition are sent home with no one realising they have potentially a life threatening condition.

Below is my story explaining why I have decided to run for this charity.

In 1996 I was born with everyone thinking that I was just a normal baby. However, it became apparent straight away that I wasn’t turning a normal colour. Instead I was blue  and it turned out that I have a heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA). I was immediately rushed for emergency surgery, luckily a cardiologist was in the hospital who was able to perform the surgery which saved my life.

17 days later I had my first open heart surgery to correct the condition.

Soon after, it became apparent that I also have Pulmonary Stenosis and in 2000 at just 4 years old, I had my second open heart surgery to fit a pericardial patch to widen the narrowing in my pulmonary artery. Everything seemed fine at first, but things seemed to go downhill again and in 2005 I had my third open heart surgery to fit a second pericardial patch to widen the artery again.

Then came my longest length of time without having any surgery, but I think my body was having withdrawal symptoms from hospital because in 2010 I started collapsing which resulted in a number of tests and 4 months in hospital over a year. When they found out what was causing it I had a pacemaker fitted in 2011 and since then I haven’t collapsed.

…to this !!!  Joe with his lovely mum Sharon

But clearly that wasn’t enough and in 2013, I had my fourth open heart surgery to replace my pulmonary valve with another human valve.

Since then, my heart has been doing okay which is why I have decided I might as well do the Great North Run – just because I can, and to prove to everyone that just because I have a heart condition, it doesn’t stop me from running.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who makes a donation, I can assure you it will save lives.

Joe Barry’s fundraising page

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Primary Sidebar

Blogs

  • The Hebridean Way is “mostly flat”
  • The journey of a heart parent
  • Sandie and Sonny are running for tiny hearts
  • Top Ten Fundraising Ideas For Kids
  • How our pulse oximetry project is saving lives
See all Blogs

Your Stories

  • Harrison’s Story
  • SVT and Aortic Stenosis: Arthur’s Story
  • VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect): George’s Story
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) and Aortic Stenosis: Emilia’s Story
  • Our heart defects: A father and son’s story
See all Your Stories

News

  • The Congenital Heart Disease Priority Setting Partnership: a national strategy to address priorities for children and adults with CHD
  • Tiny Tickers places its 500th pulse oximetry machine
  • Make Some Noise for tiny hearts
  • Amazon Smile Update 2023
  • INEOS staff cycle miles for tiny hearts
See all News

More about...

3vt (1) 20 week scan (1) Adult CHD Stories (6) ASD (13) AVSD (8) cardiac (1) Coarctation of the Aorta (36) collapsed aortic valve (1) congenital heart defects (3) congenital heart disease (3) Congenitally Corrected Transposition (4) Critical Aortic Stenosis (4) Double Outlet Right Ventricle (5) Ebstein's Anomoly (2) hypoplastic aortic arch (3) hypoplastic left heart syndrome (8) hypoplastic right heart syndrome (2) Loss (23) Mitral Valve Regurgitation (1) nominate (1) Parents Blog (15) Patent Ductus Arteriosis (3) PDA (2) pulmonary atresia (6) pulmonary stenosis (2) Pulmonary Valve Stenosis (2) research (1) shone's complex (1) sonographers (2) sonographer training (2) support (1) Supraventricular Tachycardia (3) SVT (1) TAPVC (1) Test for Tommy (5) Tetralogy of Fallot (22) tiny hearts (1) Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (TAPVC) (1) transposition of the great arteries (44) tricuspid atresia (2) Truncus Arteriosus (4) Vlogs (2) VSD (40) win (1) yorkshire (1)

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Make a donation

Help us provide a better start for tiny hearts. Make a single or regular donations to help babies with heart defects have a fighting chance.

Donate now

Subscribe to our newsletter

You can change your email preferences at any time. Read how we keep your data safe in our Privacy Policy. 

  • Accessibility
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and conditions
  • Fundraising Complaints Policy

© 2023 Tiny Tickers • Registered Charity No: 1078114

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.