Bereaved mother swims the virtual English channel for little hearts

A bereaved mother from Surrey, who lost her child after she was born with only half a heart, has rounded up a team of girls to swim the distance of the English channel to raise funds for charity.

Tracy Beresford and her girl gang are participating in The Big Hearted Swimathon to raise funds for Little Hearts Matter, a charity that supports families when their child has only half a working heart.

Tracy said: "My little angel princess Orla Rose fought so hard for nearly 4months but sadly her poorly little heart stopped beating on 9th October 2013. Orla's heart condition, HLHS, is one which many people have little or no knowledge of (I remember even having to explain it to medical professionals)… My experiences of the journey has made me want to do all I can to help raise awareness and support for fellow families. It is for this reason Little Hearts Matter is a charity close to my heart."

Tracy's swimming gang includes her sister Cara (pictured on the right with brown hair) and her friend Charlotte (pictured on the left with blonde hair). So far the girls are doing sensational and have covered over 72,000 metres between them already.

If you'd like to get involved in the Big Hearted Swimathon, you can find all the information you need here: http://www.lhm.org.uk/Info/big-hearted-swimathon-184.aspx