FOUR friends will be taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon later this month in memory of a young Newport woman.

Amy Penn died last year, aged 21, from a chronic heart condition, and a group of her friends now plan to raise money for a charity that supported her and other people with heart problems.

"Amy was born with congenital heart disease, and we knew she'd require operations from a very young age," her mum, Hayley, told the Argus. "She had her first operation at five days old."

Regular surgery could only "tweak" her daughter's condition, rather than cure it, Mrs Penn said.

However, the treatment she received enabled her to lead a normal life and make close friends. Now, four of them - Rose Evans, Beth Richards-Doughty, Callum Doughty and Georgia Schwartz - will be running 13 miles through Cardiff, at the end of March, to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

The group has raised £2,000 so far, and their gesture has meant to much to Mrs Penn and her family.

"They've done a really good job" she said. "To do this off their own backs in memory of Amy is just lovely.

"They've always been amazing with Amy - they've never seen her as 'the girl with the heart condition.'

"She did loads in 21 years and her friends were always there with her. This means so much to our family."

South Wales Argus: (L-R) Childhood friends Callum Doughty, Amy Penn, Bethan Richards, Georgia Schwartz and Rose Evans. Picture: courtesy of Hayley Penn(L-R) Childhood friends Callum Doughty, Amy Penn, Bethan Richards, Georgia Schwartz and Rose Evans. Picture: courtesy of Hayley Penn

The friends' choice of charity is also an important one, Mrs Penn said.

"The British Heart Foundation is supporting research and they supported Amy directly," she said. "They don't support Amy anymore but I know how important their research is, and their work to help other people live their lives."

If you would like to support the friends' fundraiser in Amy's memory, you can donate online at justgiving.com/team/GeorgiaCalBethRose

Mrs Penn said another event would be held this autumn in her daughter's memory, based on her own experiences in and out of hospital.

Two years before she died, Amy was beginning to plan a Dare to Dream charity ball and auction but, sadly, the coronavirus pandemic meant this was postponed several times.

"For many chronically ill people, long inpatient stays in hospital are just another thing we have to put up with to survive," Amy said at the time the event was originally being planned. "So making those stays as comfortable, comforting, and normal as possible is particularly important. This is even more important for young people, helping to support their emotional health and wellbeing."

Determined the event should still go ahead, the Penns have continued their late daughter's work and will hold the ball and auction in Cardiff on September 10, raising money for young cardiac patients.

More information about he event can be found here.