A housewife is in training to ride the world-famous Aintree course on Grand National Day. Janine Patchcott, 40, of Stanley, Country Durham, has made it through to the final 16 vying to ride in the John Smith's People's Race. The event gives ten members of the public the chance to ride in a flat race on
A rock spectacular is being staged to raise money for a condition that is claiming the lives of young people. The charity night will take place at the Stella Club in Albany, Washington, with all the proceeds going to Cry (Cardiac Risk in the Young), a charity which helps to increase awareness of heart problems. The
Horsing around is turning serious for Janine Patchett. The mum-of-two hopes to clinch a place in the charity race of a lifetime at Aintree on Grand National day. She's already seen off 3,500 other keen riders and now she is aiming for one of the 10 places in the race, which will see the winner scoop £55,000
A father of two has to keep his mobile phone permanently on vibrating alert – because the ring tone could kill him. Call centre recruitment team leader Jon Cotterill-Bolsover has one of the rarest genetic heart conditions in Western Europe. any unexpected loud noise such as his phone ringing or a sudden shock could stop his
A brave mum is calling for all teenagers to be routinely screened for heart problems after her son was found dead in his bed. Karen Reece, of Crewe, has given tearful interviews on Granada TV and to magazines to raise awareness of the condition which claimed the life of her son Daniel, 14, in September. Doctors
A brave Crewe mother is raising money for charity in memory of her teenage son. Joanne Carter, of Groby Road, has set up a memorial fund for her son Ben who was a pupil at Coppenhall High School. He died in 2005, aged 14, of an undetected heart condition. So far Joanne has raised more than £4,000
A couple who lost their teenage son to a rare heart condition have again organised cardiac screening sessions to spare others the same ordeal. Since 2000, Kenny and Maralyn Bowen, whose son Ian died from an undetected rare heart condition, have arranged regular screenings for about 38 people aged 14 to 35. It’s always a bittersweet
A Hull FC and England player is to auction two pairs of his boots to raise money and awareness in memory of a college friend. Richard Whiting, 22, will put the boots he wore in Hull FC's Grand Final appearance against St Helens in October, and the boots he wore playing for England, on an Internet
A serious kidney infection turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to 28-year-old Jon Cotterill-Bolsover. It led to a chance diagnosis of a rare genetic heart condition which would have probably killed him by the time he was 31 if left undetected. Jon was being taken to Barnsley hospital when paramedics spotted abnormalities
Heard the one about the comedian with no experience of open-water swimming taking on the English Channel known throughout the world as the blue riband event for the sport? Well, yes, you probably have; Little Britain star David Walliams' exploits for Comic Relief last year captured the public's imagination and hearts, as he raised over £1m for