Wray farmer's wife makes mint for heart hospital

A woman diagnosed with a rare heart condition who had to undergo a lifesaving heart operation raised money for the hospital that treated her by selling one of her prize lambs.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Oct 2016, 15:00 BST
Updated 25th Oct 2016, 19:38 BST
Staff nurse Lisa Huddleston, of Overhouses Farm near Wray, recently underwent a lifesaving heart operation and auctioned off a prize lamb from the farm to raise funds for Blackpool Victoria Hospital cardiac centre. Lisa with another lamb from the farm. PIC BY ROB LOCK 3-10-2016Staff nurse Lisa Huddleston, of Overhouses Farm near Wray, recently underwent a lifesaving heart operation and auctioned off a prize lamb from the farm to raise funds for Blackpool Victoria Hospital cardiac centre. Lisa with another lamb from the farm. PIC BY ROB LOCK 3-10-2016
Staff nurse Lisa Huddleston, of Overhouses Farm near Wray, recently underwent a lifesaving heart operation and auctioned off a prize lamb from the farm to raise funds for Blackpool Victoria Hospital cardiac centre. Lisa with another lamb from the farm. PIC BY ROB LOCK 3-10-2016

Farmer’s wife Lisa Huddleston, 36, who is also a staff nurse at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, was born with a heart condition so rare that only 1 in 300,000 have it.

Surgeons at Blackpool Victoria Hospital where she was operated on told her that most babies born with ALCAPA die before the age of one and it was very unusual for an adult with the condition to live past 35.

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Lisa was unaware she had the condition .Lisa, who lives on a sheep and beef farm near Wray with husband Andrew, 51, and children Harry, eight, and Anne Marie, five, decided to sell their best lamb for as much money as possible for the Heart of Gold Charitable Fund at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Lisa said: “We were selling sheep at Bentham Auction and thought if we donated the money from the best one, we could raise maybe £80 to £120.I put a picture of the six month old Swaledale gimmer lamb on Facebook the day before and got 127 likes.

Liz Hoggarth, who bought the gimmer lamb, with Lisa Huddleston.Liz Hoggarth, who bought the gimmer lamb, with Lisa Huddleston.
Liz Hoggarth, who bought the gimmer lamb, with Lisa Huddleston.

“The first bid was £100 and it went up in £10 and got to £200 and I was nearly crying. Six different lots of people bid and it made £400. “Buyer Liz Hoggarth said: “Lisa has done a fantastic job breeding such a good lamb that she deserves every penny she has raised, not forgetting the cardiac unit that has done a wonderful job for Lisa and her family.”

It was only in April 2016 that Lisa went to the doctor’s after getting chest pains whilst competing with Wray Running Club. that she was eventually diagnosed with Alcapa, a heart condition Lisa was born with which means that the heart is fed with deoxygenated blood.

“It was abig shock as I always assumed I was unfit. I had my double heart bypass surgery at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on July 5. I might need a further bypass if I get chest pains in the future.It’s only hitting me now what I’ve been through. I was very grateful I’d survived.”

heart of gold charitable fund

Liz Hoggarth, who bought the gimmer lamb, with Lisa Huddleston.Liz Hoggarth, who bought the gimmer lamb, with Lisa Huddleston.
Liz Hoggarth, who bought the gimmer lamb, with Lisa Huddleston.
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The Heart of Gold Charitable Fund provides funding to enhance care at the Lancashire Cardiac Centre, based at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

This centre of excellence supports heart and lung patients from across the North West and South Cumbria, offering patients the very latest in diagnostics, specialist cardiology procedures and surgical techniques. To make a donation visit www.bfwh.nhs.uk/blueskies/index.php/make-a-donation/.