The family of a “bubbly” young girl who died from a heart defect will be hosting a ‘football marathon’ to raise money for cardiac research.

Shani Berman was just five-years-old when she died following an operation at Great Ormond Street hospital in February 2017.

Shani was born with a congenital defect, which meant she had a hole in her heart. Doctors were able to fit Shani with a tube but just before her 2nd birthday, she suffered heart failure.

Doctors operated on her and she was able to live her life, albeit in a wheelchair and in and out of hospital, but when she was five doctors had to operate on the little girl again.

Sadly she did not survive.

Watford Observer:

Her parents Simon and Juliet Berman from Elstree described Shani as a “bubbly, happy, feisty” little girl who “never gave up”.

Her parents have set up a charity, Shine for Shani, which they hope will raise vital money to support cardiac research into child heart transplants.

At Watford Powerleague in Aldenham Road, Bushey, on July 29, family and friends will take part in a 12 hour ‘football marathon” with half-an-hour games. It was the idea of Shani’s old brother Joel, 14, and he will be joined by his sister Tammy, 12.

Mr Berman said: “We all want to honour Shani’s memory. It’s taken us a while to be emotionally prepared to take this step but we have had such amazing support.

“It is important to focus on the future and make it better for children with heart conditions. Shani was such a bubbly girl and even though she couldn’t do the things her friends could, she never gave up.”

Mrs Berman has already helped to raise £29,000 for Cancer Research UK and Great Ormond Street. Alongside 19 other women, they took part in the ‘Shine Walk’, a 26 mile route around Central London.

Shine Walk was the inspiration for Shine for Shani.

To find out more about Shine for Shani and help support research into cardiac research, visit the Berman’s fundraising page at http://www.justgiving.com/shaniberman