The family of a 12-year-old girl who died of a heart muscle disease has raised £90,000 for a children’s cardiac fund in her memory.
Sophie Pearson died in November 2006 after battling cardiomyopathy and in the nine years since, her family and friends in New Tredegar have ensured she lives on through the Sophie Pearson Community Fund.
The cash raised has been donated to the paediatric cardiac fund at the University Hospital of Wales’ Children’s Heart Unit where Sophie was treated.
Events including Sophie’s Sevens rugby tournament, bike rides and band days helped raise the money, some of which has been used to fund a resource room in Sophie’s name that is used for teaching, conferences and meetings with staff.
Sophie’s mother Alyson Hughes said: “It makes us very proud as Sophie’s family that people have supported us and helped to raise money to provide this facility.
“We keep on fundraising because we feel like we’ve had so much support since Sophie died, that this is our way of giving back to the community and the hospital that provided us with fantastic care.
“The donations to her school will benefit her friends and cousins and eventually her sisters.
“We’d like to say thank you to everyone who has helped us raise money. We couldn’t do it without their support.”
David Hanks, head of Acute Child Health at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “We’d like to thank Sophie’s family and friends and also the local community for their magnificent fundraising efforts. Donations such as these help us to provide the best facilities for patients and their families in our care.”