Larbert boy raises £1200 for charity three years after life changing open heart surgery

Eight-year-old Finlay Wilson was joined by 13 close family members and friends as he climbed Dumyat on Sunday – something he would never have been able to do before his operation.

And by climbing the Stirlingshire hill, Finlay – a P4 pupil at Stenhousemuir Primary – has raised £1235 for the British Heart Foundation.

Mum Gayle, dad Steven and big brother Callan, 10, couldn’t be prouder of Finlay for his fundraising efforts this weekend.

Gayle explained: “Finlay was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was five. He had a 2cm hole in the right atrium of his heart. He had been born with it.

"He was poorly and was in and out of hospital all his life. He had lots of chest infections and upper respiratory infections. A viral infection would have him in the hospital for a week.

"The doctors did so many tests, but could never put their finger on what was causing him to be so poorly.

"I’m a nurse myself, so I just knew in my gut there was something not right so we kept taking him back.

“It was during Covid when only myself could go in with him that they told me he would have to have open heart surgery.

"It was a shock. That was in August 2021 and in March 2022 he had the surgery.”

Before the surgery, mum said Finlay also struggled with tiredness.

“His heart has had to work harder,” she said.

“He couldn’t run the length of himself, he was really tired all the time.

"He would last 20 minutes at football and he would be exhausted.

"He’s a completely different boy to how he was before the surgery.

"He was so poorly, but now he’s a normal eight year old boy. He plays football three times a week and can do things he would never have been able to manage before.

"Congenital heart defects can often go undiagnosed until adulthood, so we know how lucky we are now to have this healthy eight year old boy and we’re very grateful.”

Since Finlay’s surgery on March 10, 2022 the family have been marking the anniversary each year.

"We celebrate what we call his ‘Heart Day’,” said Gayle. "Last year we went away as a family, the four of us. But this year we were sitting one night thinking about what we could do and Finlay said he wanted to raise money for a charity that helps people with poorly hearts like his.

"He said he wanted to climb the big hill – Dumyat.

"Steven and I walk it quite a lot with the dog, but Finlay was never able to do it before so he wanted to get to the top. It was totally his idea.

"On Sunday we took our close family and friends and walked up Dumyat. There were 14 of us.

"The weather was on our side. We all had lunch together at the bottom after the climb and it was a really lovely day.

"We’d set up a fundraising page and Finlay has raised over £1200.

"He was so excited about doing it. He is absolutely delighted and is buzzing to have done it.

"He initially wanted to raise £200, but now he’s passed £1000.

“He was just really excited and we’re extremely proud. It was an amazing day.”

Finlay’s fundraising page can be found here