THURS, dec 15, 2022
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Incredible teenager who had open heart surgery is now first woman to finish Santa Dash 5K race An inspiring teenager has told her incredible story of how she went from having open heart surgery at Leeds Children’s Hospital to coming first at a 5km race in the city in the space of just three years, writes Charles Gray for The Yorkshire Evening Post. Molly Hayes, 14, from Stocksbridge, was the first woman to finish the annual Big Leeds Santa Dash 2022 on Sunday morning with an impressive time of 22 minutes and 44 seconds – a personal best. It’s an incredible achievement for someone whose parents were told just three years prior that she had a 10% chance of surviving open heart surgery. Speaking after the race, which was held to raise funds for St Gemma’s Hospice, Molly told the Yorkshire Evening Post that she had been looking forward to running in Leeds due to the close bond she has formed with the city since she began receiving treatment at the children’s hospital at Leeds General Infirmary. The complications started when nine-yearold Molly suffered a stroke in February 2018,
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resulting in the right side of her body being paralysed. For over a year she took regular trips to Sheffield Children’s Hospital – saying it became like a second home – where doctors tried to work out what had happened but to no avail.
heart valves. She said that after she was told that if the surgery had not been performed she would have “been dead by Christmas”.
the city centre. He then stayed by the finish line dressed in his Santa-themed running gear to cheer on Molly as she finished.
Molly said that she “gained a lot of weight” during her recuperation due to the tablets that she took slowing her metabolism down She said: “I spent 18 months in bed being a and also due to her “lounging about” – espedead alive person. cially during the Covid lockdowns in 2020. "Eventually we came to Leeds – which is why She said: “I used food as an escape from my trauma and allowed myself to gain more and I love it so much.” more.” In May 2019, Molly was recommended to see a doctor in Leeds who diagnosed her with Molly said that it was in December 2021 that Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which is her mum urged her to exercise with her in a condition that causes the heart to beat ab- their home gym, where she set herself the normally fast. Molly said that at one point challenge of doing 3km. She said: “I had to her heart reached 256bpm and after multiple walk-run it but at that point I just wanted to failed attempts to lower it, doctors had to stop do it. So every month I set a goal to run an her heart. She said: “I was pronounced dead extra kilometre and then in July my dad took but was lucky enough to be offered a second me out to a 5km and I loved it. chance at life as my heart restarted itself.” Also taking part in the Santa Dash on Sunday Then in November 2019, doctors in Leeds was Molly’s Dad and running partner Richperformed heart surgery on Molly for four- ard, who came first overall out of the 500+ and-a-half hours, during which it was found people taking part in the lapped race around that she also had complications with her
Richard said: “It gives me a bigger buzz seeing her do well as it does myself.”
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Also cheering the two on was Molly’s mum Sarah, who said: “Since Molly was in that hospital bed and they told us there was a 90% chance she would not make it anything Molly does is incredible. Just to see Molly running is incredible. To see her up and walking is incredible. It’s still very surreal.” Molly, who aspires to be an officer and fastjet pilot in the Royal Air Force, now has a number of races in her sight through the next year and has set up a fundraising page where she is raising money for The Leeds Children's Heart Surgery Fund, which funded her surgery. Molly initially set a target of £256 and has already smashed that by raising an amazing £1,123.