A LOVING mum is supporting a vital charity after her 17-year-old son has had two heart operations after collapsing on the football pitch.
Tracy Bacon, 52, from Halstead, took part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon on April 7 to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation, achieving a figure of £1,345.
Now, the fit teenager who regularly plays sports, has already undergone two heart operations for his condition, Broad complex tachycardia, where his heartbeat can often go as high as 240 beats per minute.
Tracy has been at Finley’s side throughout all his treatment, and she decided to take on 13.1-mile run as a way of giving back to the charity which supports Finley and many others across the UK.
She said: “At the starting line it was quite nerve wracking, it felt like the windiest day of the year, I was quite nervous and didn’t expect to be as I did quite a lot of training.
“I genuinely didn’t want to let anyone down, I was doing it for a cause very close to my heart.
“Once I got going it was one of the best experiences of my life, they cheer you on as you’re going along and probably the last five kilometres was the hardest thing I’ve done.
“I loved it, I was so tired, and so emotional, I did burst into tears when I crossed the line, I loved every minute, it was great, and I raised a lot for charity.”
On the day, her partner, Lee Bacon, cheered her on from the side-lines.
The sons Finley, Casey, and Nathan weren't able to attend due to work but followed her journey through an app and sent messages of encouragement.
Tracy’s target was to raise £350 for the charity but has surpassed it by £995.
“To raise £350 was amazing, my story then came out in the Gazette and it genuinely raised the figure by a phenomenal amount.
“48 hours later I raised £500 to £600 pound, then after the race once people saw what I had achieved, it’s almost over my target by £1,000.
“I am blown away from people’s generosity, it really does mean the world, to bring foundation to the forefront and all the work they have done for Finley and the research.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here