A coffee morning is being held on 1 April at Neuadd Rhydypennau to celebrate the 13th birthday of plucky Elain James and to raise money for two charities that have been paramount in her recent care.

Soon after she was born on 22 March 2010, Elain of Llanilar was diagnosed with complex Pulmonary Atresia, VSD and MAPCAs.

The condition is considered life-limiting and her parents, Bridget Harpwood and Gareth James, were told that she is highly unlikely to reach adulthood.

Despite cardiologists initially warning that Elain would not be likely to reach teenage years, the youngster is this week celebrating her 13th birthday. Mum Bridget said: “Against all the odds, Elain has managed to live her best life possible. Penblwydd Hapus Elain! We are so proud of you.”

ApelElain, which was set up in 2011, has already raised £145,000 for cardiac and other charities involved in Elain’s care, and the family is hoping to raise even more this year.

The first event is a coffee morning, which is being held on Saturday, 1 April, from 9.30am to noon, at Rhydypennau Village Hall, and will also feature a cake stall and raffle.

Proceeds will go to two charities - The Wish Fund launched by Hywel Dda Health Charities to support children in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire needing palliative care, and the Ty Hafan hospice.

Elain’s mum, Bridget Harpwood, is also doing the Welsh Three Peaks on Sunday, 7 May, with nine other mums to raise money for Ty Hafan.

Bridget added: “It would be lovely to see as many people as possible at the coffee morning. With Elain’s future still looking uncertain, we continue to receive an incredible amount of support from both the community palliative care team in Ceredigion and Ty Hafan children’s hospice.

“Through the darkest times and when it feels like there is no hope they are there to help, support and provide much-needed comfort and reassurance. Fundraising is our way of saying thank you.”

“We are gratefully accepting donations of cakes, bottles of wine or soft drinks and any other raffle items. If you would like to help then please contact us via our Facebook page or email [email protected],” Bridget said.

For those who are not able to make it to the coffee morning on 1st April, an online donation page has been set up for those who would like to contribute. Go to Crowdfunding to celebrate Elain's 13th Birthday! on JustGiving

Much of the first year of Elain’s life was spent with her critically ill in Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

In Spring 2013, following several attempts at trying to fix Elain’s heart the family was told that nothing more could be done for her.

In 2014, however, after an unexpected period of relative stability, a high-risk surgical option was offered. After much deliberation Elain’s parents decided to give it a shot and in April 2015 Elain underwent a partial repair.

Bridget said: “During the years following this surgery she went from strength to strength. For the first time in her life, she was able to eat orally and completely independent from her feeding tube, she gained weight, attended school full time and was able to enjoy activities such as swimming, horse riding, soft play and family holidays.

“Last year the team at Bristol highlighted that Elain’s anatomy is not particularly robust or compatible with a long life and presented another high-risk surgical option. But the family currently feel that Elain’s quality of life is so good that it is simply not worth the risk at this stage.”

The 10 mums taking part in the Welsh Three Peaks have set themselves a £20,000 target and hope to raise vital funds for the hospice while also raising awareness and redefining perceptions of palliative care and the experiences of those living with a life-limiting prognosis.

Bridget added; “Mums v Mountains is such an apt challenge for us as quite often our lives can feel like a bit of an uphill climb. But despite these struggles, we keep pushing through.

“Ty Hafan is there for families like ours to help us through those darker times and also to celebrate the precious life and time we have with our children, and for that we are truly grateful and want to show our appreciation.”