I suffered a stroke and nearly died at 17 and now I'm going to run the London Marathon

An apprentice estate agent from the Ribble Valley will be taking on her first London Marathon just two years after suffering a stroke.

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Lauren Schofield will take on the tough task of competing in the London Marathon next year, on behalf of the British Heart Foundation.

Lauren, who recently joined Pendle Hill Properties as an Apprentice, suffered a stroke in 2022 whilst on holiday in Spain, at the age of just 17. 

The stroke was caused by a heart condition that Lauren never knew she had.

Despite her family being informed that the chances of survival were low, Lauren was put on a life support machine, from where she built up enough strength to continue her rehabilitation and return to the UK.

In July 2023, Lauren underwent major heart surgery, which allowed her to continue her road to recovery. Just over a year on from that surgery and she is planning her next challenge and the London Marathon on Sunday 27th April 2025.

Also a talented musician, who has appeared on The Voice Kids alongside performances at The Beat-Herder Festival, on BBC Music Introducing and at CarFest, Lauren's courageous spirit is seeing her enjoy life to its fullest.

Lauren said: "I am proudly running the London Marathon on behalf of the British Heart Foundation. 

“As someone who has had heart surgery themselves, I know how much the BHF helps people who are currently living with a heart condition, or to help people discover any underlying conditions through their ongoing research.

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"The BHF has helped halve the number of people dying from heart and circulatory disease in the UK but sadly every day hundreds of people lose their lives. It's only thanks to support from people like us that the BHF can create new treatments and discover new cures."

Andrew Turner, Managing Director at Pendle Hill Properties, said: "We are all very proud of Lauren here at Pendle Hill Properties and the full team will be supporting her all the way. She is training hard and any donations she receives will be hugely appreciated."

Any donations to Lauren's JustGiving page can be made on this link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/lauren-schofield-1724085875002