Meet Fundraising Hero Anka Running for Her Daughter

When Anka went for a scan late in her pregnancy, she had no idea how suddenly her world would change. On a whim, she decided to sign up for a wellbeing scan as well as a photo scan. Little did she know that one small decision would reveal that her baby would be born with two congenital heart defects and would require surgery to survive.

On 2 January 2025, Kiara was born, and just ten minutes later, whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital.

Her Mum, Anka, told us the story of how her newborn baby came into the world ready to fight…

“It was by far the worst time in our lives, not knowing what tomorrow would bring and praying the worst wouldn’t happen. Somehow every day blending into one. All we wanted to do was to bring our baby home.”

At just nine days old, it was time for Kiara’s first open-heart surgery.

“It was terrifying. Before they took her into the operating room, the surgeon told us to say goodbye to our baby. Somehow, little Kiara gave us a smile, like she was trying to let us know that all would be well. The seven-hour wait while she was in surgery felt like years.”

Anka, Kiara’s Mum

The initial plan was to wait six months for her heart to grow before a second surgery. At birth, her heart was no bigger than a strawberry. But not long after the first operation, her health deteriorated rapidly. Waiting was no longer an option; she couldn’t breathe. Surgeons had no choice but to operate again on her tiny, strawberry-sized heart.

Miraculously, the surgery was another success. Kiara was just 26 days old.

After two long months in hospital, it was finally time for Kiara to go home, and for life as a family of four to truly begin. Her older sister, Fiona, could finally have her baby sibling under the same roof as her, Anka and her partner would no longer be living between hospital walls.

Today, Kiara is 15 months old. While she is still on medication to manage her blood pressure, a byproduct of surgery, she is doing incredibly well. She continues to return to Bristol Children’s Hospital for annual checkups.

Only time will tell what her long-term care will involve, but right now, she is exactly where she is meant to be.

While in hospital, Anka spotted a poster for The Grand Appeal, calling on runners to take part in the Great Bristol Run. Her original intention was to take on the 10K in 2025, but between postpartum recovery and her baby’s delayed start to life outside hospital, it simply wasn’t the right time.

Now, on Sunday 10 May 2026, this self-professed non-runner will rise to the challenge. Determined to raise money for the hospital that saved her daughter’s life and supported them in the most challenging days.