Two women from Lincoln, united by their shared determination to fundraise for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), are celebrating after exceeding their fundraising goals by thousands of pounds in honor of their loved ones. Rebecca Carr and Jade Kirkbride raised nearly £7,000 between them for the BHF by rallying friends and family to support their efforts in the City of Lincoln 10k run.
Personal Stories of Loss and Love
Jade Kirkbride, a 35-year-old audiologist, lost her father, Chris Cox, in May of last year at the age of 60 due to heart failure. She expressed the deep significance of the run, stating, 'The run meant so much more to us than the miles on the road. We ran together as a family, united by love, loss, and the desire to turn our grief into something positive.' She credited her cousin Ruby for helping her through the training, adding, 'Our dad was the heart of our family, and he is deeply missed every single day by everyone who knew and loved him.'
Rebecca Carr, a 50-year-old teaching assistant, ran in support of her son Spencer, who was diagnosed with heart failure on his 22nd birthday last year. She said, 'As a mum you want to do everything you possibly can to help your child. I have been and always will be at Spencer’s side doing everything I can to support him to live his best life.'
Overwhelming Community Support
Both women expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support they received. Jade noted, 'We are overwhelmed by the amount of support we’ve received and know dad would be so proud that we all came together to do this for him and to fund research that might prevent other families going through this heartbreak.' Rebecca added, 'I am absolutely thrilled to have smashed through my target receiving more than three times what I’d hoped for. I can’t thank everyone enough who donated. It means the world to us as a family.'
BHF Acknowledges Fundraising Success
Melanie Meik, fundraising manager at the BHF, praised the women's efforts, saying, 'We are absolutely blown away by the phenomenal support for these two great women. They rallied their family and friends and inspired their communities to get behind their fundraising in honour of their loved ones.' She emphasized that donations to Rebecca and Jade's fundraising pages will help the BHF fund groundbreaking cardiovascular research to save and improve lives across the UK.
