A Westbury woman is taking on the Bath Half Marathon to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in honour of her sister who was born with a serious heart condition.
Fran Warr will complete the event on Sunday 15th March in honour of her sister Sophia who was born with aortic stenosis, a congenital heart defect, and underwent emergency treatment at just six weeks old.
After being rushed to A&E, Sophia was transferred to the Royal Brompton Hospital where an echocardiogram revealed the problem. Doctors performed an emergency balloon angioplasty, inserting a catheter through her thigh and using a small balloon to widen the valve and improve blood flow.
Despite doctors initially expecting she would need a valve replacement by age five, Sophia has reached 27 without further surgery – but has been told that a replacement valve in the future is a matter of “when not if”. She continues to attend a yearly check‑up and lives with the constant awareness of her condition.
“From the outside you’d never know anything was wrong – she’s so fit and healthy,” said Fran. “But she’s always been told she has to avoid endurance events and monitor her heart rate carefully when she does exercise. It’s stressful living with something like that, but she handles it amazingly well. I wanted to do something meaningful for her, and running for the BHF felt like the right thing.”
Fran admits training has been tough. She has battled shin splints, ankle issues and frequent physio appointments, all while tackling long winter training runs in relentless rain. But she is determined to cross the finish line, even if she has to “crawl over it”.
“My friends signed me up because I’d supported them at the Bath Half last year and said I’d love to be able to do something like that,” said Fran. “I never thought I had it in me – but now that they’ve entered me, I owe it to them and to myself to see it through. I think I’ll cry when I finish.”
Her dad, John, who has completed more than 20 marathons, will be by her side on the day. “He’s told me to take it steady, enjoy the atmosphere and not be afraid to walk if I need to. He’s even given me carb‑loading advice – apparently a big plate of pasta is essential!”
Heart defects are diagnosed in at least 1 in 150 births in the UK. Before the BHF existed, the majority of babies diagnosed with a severe heart defect in the UK did not survive to their first birthday. Today, thanks to research, more than eight out of ten survive to adulthood.
Pekham Seal, Events Executive at the BHF, said, “We’re so grateful to Fran for taking on this huge challenge for the BHF. Her sister’s story highlights exactly why our research is so vital – helping children born with heart defects live longer, healthier lives. Every pound Fran raises will help us fund groundbreaking research and give hope to families across the UK.”
To support Fran’s fundraising, visit justgiving.com/page/f-warr-3
