July 2005 - Consort Homes Sets Hearts Racing
Consort Homes Phil Lee (left) and Stewart Loben (right), hand over the money raised to ward sister Angela O'Keefe, Consultant Mike Blackburn and nurse Steph Carncross.
Consort Homes certainly got hearts racing when they presented over £7,000 to the Children’s Heart Unit at Leeds General Infirmary. Twelve of Consort’s staff ran the Leeds Half Marathon in May to raise enough funds to buy the unit two new Dual Chamber External Pacemakers after a colleague’s baby son was treated there. The pacemakers are used to maintain the heart rhythm of babies and children on a temporary basis whilst they either recover from surgery or have a permanent pacemaker fitted.
The total amount raised by Team Consort exceeded even the most optimistic targets and the unit is now able to buy three pacemakers and a specialist amplifier, allowing doctors to monitor the internal rhythm of the heart at the same time as the more usual external monitoring.
Consultant Mike Blackburn, who himself bought a Consort Home said,
” We are extremely grateful for this donation from Consort which will allow us to upgrade some of our outdated equipment. These new pacemakers are much more sophisticated and reliable, which together with the new amplifier will give us better output, making a real difference in the treatment of the sick babies and children on the ward. ”
Phil Lee, the leader of Team Consort commented, “Considering the closest some of the team members had got to exercise was running a bath, I am proud of the way that they trained hard to complete the 13.1 miles of the half marathon. To smash the target in the fundraising along the way is just fantastic and I’d like to say a big thanks to all our sponsors on behalf of the team”
Phil Lee and Consort Homes’ Site Manager, Stewart Loben, whose son was treated on the ward were pleased to hand over the money to ward sister Angela O’Keefe, Consultant Mike Blackburn (pictured with one of the pacemakers) and nurse Steph Carncross.
