Over the last year, Enniskillen Ladies Circle have been raising money for a Northern Ireland charity which one member holds particularly close to her heart.
The current chairwoman of the club, Alexandra Lowry, was born with a congenital heart condition. Grateful for the support the Children’s Heartbeat Trust gave her and her family when she was receiving treatment as a child, Alexandra, along with the other members of Enniskillen Ladies Circle, chose to fundraise for the charity during her year as chairwoman, from May 2021 to May 2022.
Alexandra Lowry, current chairwoman of Enniskillen Ladies Circle.
Children’s Heartbeat Trust
Speaking to The Impartial Reporter about her experience with the Children’s Heartbeat Trust, whose work is dedicated to helping children and young people with heart disease, and their families, live full and empowered lives.
Alexandra said: “I was born with a congenital heart condition so I was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, that is where all my care has been all of my life.”
As a child, Alexandra required two heart surgeries due to her heart condition.
“One of them was open heart, when I was six. I don’t really remember it, I remember bits and pieces of it but I’m still here,” she said.
“Now I just live a normal life, I get a check up every year in Belfast but I’m just like every other person.”
She went on to explain that whilst she was getting treatment as a young child, she had to live away from home, so it was vital that her mother had somewhere to stay close by.
“She was given like a wee room to herself very close to the ward, just so she could stay and be as close to me as possible,” said Alexandra.
She added: “It was great to have that sort of base so she wasn’t sleeping on the ward with me and she wasn’t having to travel from Fermanagh every day to be with me.
“So it was vital for us really.”
Fundraising
As a club, Enniskillen Ladies Circle have held various fundraisers for the Children’s Heartbeat Trust including a cake sale in June 2021 and a walking challenge, where together members walked a total of 500 miles in October.
Enniskillen Ladies Circle.
On April 23 at 9pm, the club are hosting ‘Back to 90s’ a fundraising nineties themed night at Level Seven in Blakes of the Hollow.
“The band The Hand me Downs will be playing nineties music on the night and then we have a big raffle as well,” said Alexandra, noting that nineties dress up is encouraged but not compulsory.
“We’re hoping it’ll bring a little bit of fun to Enniskillen,” she explained.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Children’s Heartbeat Trust to help more children who are going through what Alexandra went through.
“There are over 200 children and babies every year born and diagnosed with a heart condition.
“When you live down here [in Fermanagh], it is far away for parents and families to have to travel if they do have an ill child so it’s great to raise awareness away from Belfast and show people what services are out there available for them and that they are not going through it alone,” Alexandra told this newspaper.
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