AN ABERYSTWYTH mum whose 13-year-old daughter was born with a complex heart condition has begun a challenge to raise money for the charity that has supported them.

Bridget Harpwood’s daughter Elain has been supported by Tŷ Hafan since she was a baby and, as a way of giving back, she came up with the Mums v Mountains challenge.

Bridget and seven other mothers, all of whom have a child cared for by the much-loved children’s hospice, are aiming to conquer Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Pen-y-Fan on Sunday, 7 May despite most of them being self-confessed newbies to mountain walking.

Bridget, mum and stepmum of five, from Aberystwyth, said: “We have sat back for a while and watched the Tŷ Hafan Dads team do physical challenges over the past few years, and we now feel like it’s our turn! Mums often naturally fall into the primary carer role when they have a child with additional health needs.

“This means that sometimes we struggle to prioritise and find time for ourselves.

“This challenge will be an amazing opportunity to both raise money and for Tŷ Hafan Mums to experience something they may never get the chance to do otherwise.

“I think parent carers are often stereotyped as people whose lives are dominated by their caring responsibilities.

“Quite often our situations end up being dictated to us by our children and we may not get the opportunities or freedom to do the things that we would like to do.

“This challenge will push many of us outside our comfort zones and we will all have to be super-determined and organised with our preparation and training.

“I’d like to think that by doing this challenge we can help redefine how people perceive palliative care and those families who experience living with a life-limiting prognosis.”

They are aiming to raise in excess of £20,000 for the hospice, which they describe as their “absolute lifeline”.

Paula Langston, Head of Community Fundraising for Tŷ Hafan, said: “I am totally in awe of what every mother who is looking after a child with a life-shortening condition deals with every day as it is one of the hardest things a person can do.

“The fact that these eight mums have decided to push themselves even further and tackle the three highest peaks in Wales in just 24 hours and all to raise vital funds for Tŷ Hafan is amazing.

“It costs £5.2m a year to provide our care and support services, both in our hospice based in Sully, and in homes and communities across South, West and East Wales and more than 80 per cent comes from the fantastic generosity of the public.

“I hope that as many people as possible will get right behind our Mums v Mountains and help them to realise their ambition and raise as much money as possible for Tŷ Hafan.”

For information and to donate to the Mums v Mountains for Tŷ Hafan challenge, visit the fund-raising page at www.justgiving.com/campaign/mumsVmountains.