A DORSET dad will run the London Marathon to raise money to for charity after his daughter was saved by pioneering medical research.

'I remember thinking how would she be able to survive major heart surgery?'

These are the words of Paul Mills whose daughter, Megan, underwent a nine-hour operation at the age of just three weeks old.

Now 16 years on, Paul will run the gruelling 26 course to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. 

Megan was diagnosed with a congenital defect known as truncus arteriosus, which means only a single blood vessel leaves the heart, instead of the usual two.

Paul, 45, from Blandford Forum, said: “When we were told Megan was born with a missing artery in her heart and would need surgery, everything became a blur.

Bournemouth Echo:

“It was such a horrific time, and we were beyond worried. She was so small. I remember thinking how would she be able to survive major heart surgery?”

Megan underwent a nine-hour operation, in 2007, at Southampton Hospital to help correct the blood flow around her heart.

“Because she was so small, the manmade arteries they usually use in this type of procedure weren’t suitable and instead surgeons used the jugular vein of a calf. It was pioneering treatment at the time,” Paul said.

“Thankfully, the surgery went well but, it was heart-breaking seeing her in paediatric intensive care with all these wires coming out of her tiny body. It’s an image that still sits with me now.”

Bournemouth Echo:

After a second operation in 2011, Megan needed a third surgery in 2019, after it was found her heart was enlarged and overworking. This was corrected and a mechanical valve was implanted.

Paul, who plans to run the marathon later this month, smashed his original target of £500 having raised £720 in donations at the time of writing. 

The cash will go towards 'lifesaving research' into heart and circulatory conditions.

He said: “Running for the BHF is so important to me.

“It’s one of those charities that has always been there and been at the forefront of where we’ve been with Megan. The good that it does and all the research it helps to fund will not only make a difference to Meg’s life but to so many other people in the future.”

To donate to Paul’s run, visit his JustGiving page.