Helping Heal The Heart Through Art: Surrey Artist raises heart condition awareness with Surrey Scorchers
A Surrey mother has travelled around the country with a canvas to try and raise money and awareness of a heart condition after her son was diagnosed.
Artist Penny Nanton started her journey with The Travelling Canvas in Surrey, and visited Frimley Heath NHS Foundation Trust, as well as the Surrey Scorchers, who used to play with her son Jeremy, before travelling around the rest of the country.
Myopericarditis is inflammation around the heart, which led to Jeremy being unable to continue his career as a professional athlete with the Surrey Scorchers.
The canvas which is a collaboration of people across the country to show their support for those with Myopericarditis is now on a silent auction until Sunday 9th October. All funds will be donated to the British Heart Foundation for research to find a cure for myocarditis, which the BHF are targeting.
Jeremy's teammate at the Surrey Scorchers, Tayo Ogedegbe said:
"Us as his friends and teammates haven't really been able to help in any way shape or form other than to give him some support here and there.
"So it feels great to actually physically be able to do something, where as putting a bit on the painting or sending him a supportive message, it's been great to be a part of."
For Penny, it was just as much about raising money as it was about letting those suffering from the disease to know that people care about them, and that they aren't alone.
She said: "This canvas will carry the memory and the touch or everybody putting their thoughts on it.
"Sometimes we don't need words, sometimes it's just a touch, for the sufferers to see that there are many, many people behind them."
The Surrey Scorchers all added their touch to the canvas. The Captain of the team said it felt so good to be able to physically do something to hopefully bring light to so many who suffer with this disease in silence. Frimley Hospital arranged a representative of the cardiac team to add their touch a as well as the pathology team. The Rowbarge public house in Woking opened its doors to allow others to put their touch to the canvas before it headed North.
The canvas visited Nottingham with a visit to Sherwood Forest, then the canvas then head to Darlington. Another of the objectives was for The Travelling Signature Canvas to be at The Art Bank in Dalbeattie. Mandy Nicholson organised a pub evening, a creative morning and sponsored The Travelling Signature Canvas. The next stop was Chester, where the canvas was invited to a pop up art centre in the heart of Chester. With 2 more days to go the canvas stopped at Leamington, where a team from the Fire station put on their touch.
The canvas then travelled to Reading to meet another fellow creative who had been truly supportive. The Travelling Signature Canvas finished it’s journey on Thursday the 15th of September at the BAM construction site in Walton on Thames. Alan Newland had organised for two British Heart Foundation representatives to be present. All the construction workers of all the different services added their touch.