Wear Red Day for the Leeds Children's Heart Surgery Fund
Over a hundred schools, businesses, and organisations across Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire are wearing red today.
The annual fundraiser, for the Leeds Children's Heart Surgery Fund, also raises awareness of congenital heart disease. That's something Leeds mum Vicky Hargreave is just starting to understand, with her baby Damie-Lou. "We've just found out she's got a large VSD hole in her heart," she told us. "She's really struggling with her condition. She's lost loads of weight, she's sleeping a lot, and she’s sweating a lot. "We've been very worried, distraught, and she's due to have open heart surgery in 4-6 weeks. "Apparently it's very common. There are a lot of babies that have got it and a lot of babies have pulled through with it. They might not have pulled through without the funding. "I think it's as important as cancer research because these children are the future." Damie-Lou's older siblings are students at Thornhill Academy, where Educating Yorkshire was filmed. The school is one of hundreds taking part in the fundraising event today. Head of Year 7, Lynn Marsden told us: "To be honest, the kids at this school are amazing at getting behind charities, they love raising money. "The feedback we had from the programme has been overwhelmingly positive so if we can use it to anyone's benefit we will do.” Last year Wear Red Day raised over £30,000 for the heart unit at the LGI. This year the charity expects it to bring in over £50,000 which will pay for eight new ventilators on the paediatric intensive care unit. Alex Green from CHSF told us they'll make a huge difference: "The ones we have at the moment are 15 years old so obviously there are others available that are far more modern. "They'll be particularly useful for small babies and those that need extra special care. It'll just allow the doctors and nurses to their job better really and provide even better care."