AN eight-year-old Tamworth boy is taking on a school fundraiser with a whole lot of heart in a bid to to help families just like his.
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Tayne Dowton’s take on the annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser is a little different to other kids’.
The Liberty Christian College student’s Heart Foundation fundraising efforts have a special meaning because his mum Danielle Hogno and his two siblings, Deegan and Ruby, could be the beneficiaries of their research.
Ms Hogno suffered a cardiac arrest when working at Big W, Tamworth 10 years ago.
She was revived by night shift manager Graeme Meyer and has since been fitted with an internal defibrillator device.
Little Tayne came into the world 18-months later – after Ms Hogno was told she was unable to carry a child.
“Tayne is a very special child. I gave birth to him 18 months after having my cardiac arrest, after being told that I’d never have kids,” she said.
“He’s my driving force behind doing anything,
“He’s a special child in the way his mind and heart works. He’s got a very big heart.”
Ms Hogno’s cardiac arrest was the result of a genetic mutation, which can cause Long QT and Brugada Syndrome.
The family have since learnt Tayne’s siblings also carry the mutation, with testing underway to determine if Tayne has it too.
“I want to help families like my family, most of us have heart conditions,” Tayne told The Leader.
“I’ll be raising money by doing jump rope for heart.”
Ms Hogno said Tayne had a goal to raise $5000
“I said we’ll give it our best go,” she said.
“I was very proud and absolutely stoked he wanted to do it.
“The rest of the family is absolutely tickled pink, he is quite the little gentleman.”
Tayne and his family are busy working to reach his goal ahead of the school’s Jump Rope for Heart day on September 11.
You can find his donation page on the Jump Rope for Heart Website, under Tayne’s Helping Heart on the Liberty College team.