Football-Mad Boy with Heart Condition Honored with Red Bench in Billericay
A seven-year-old boy from Billericay who lives with heart failure has been honored with a special red bench installed at his local playing field as part of a national campaign to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease.
Archie, described by his family as "football mad," is one of just 65 people across the United Kingdom chosen by the British Heart Foundation to participate in their awareness initiative. The bench installation celebrates 65 years of the charity funding life-saving cardiovascular research.
Special Location for a Special Boy
The bright red bench bearing Archie's name has been unveiled at Sun Corner on the QEII Playing Field, a location particularly meaningful to the young football enthusiast who is a devoted supporter of Billericay Town Football Club.
"Archie is thrilled - he has been telling all his friends about his bench and the BHF," said his mother Lucie Bond. "He tells people he has a superhero, extra strong heart."
Lucie explained that the family specifically chose this location because of Archie's passion for football. The young boy plays right wing on a team each week and idolizes football star Cristiano Ronaldo.
"The whole family is so excited about the bench," Lucie continued. "The fact it is red means it is bright and happy and will really stand out and help spread awareness of cardiovascular disease."
Early Diagnosis and Ongoing Journey
Archie's heart condition was discovered shortly after his birth on New Year's Day 2019. During his six-week check-up, doctors detected a heart murmur that led to further investigation.
Medical tests revealed Archie had a ventricular septal defect (VSD), a hole in the heart present at birth. Lucie was connected with specialist nurses and received crucial information from the British Heart Foundation about monitoring for signs of heart failure.
"The doctor told me to take Archie home, and that I needed to look out for signs of heart failure - like difficulty breathing and sweating," Lucie recalled. "You've just had a newborn baby, and you hear that - it's obviously horrendous."
For his first few months, Archie had to be kept completely isolated to prevent him from catching a cold. He struggled with feeding and was failing to thrive until March 2020 when he began showing clear signs of heart failure.
Doctors discovered fluid buildup in Archie's heart and lungs and prescribed diuretics, which Lucie administered through a syringe. Although Archie may require surgery in the future, he is currently off medication and only requires annual monitoring.
Raising Awareness Through Personal Stories
The British Heart Foundation collaborated with Saatchi and Saatchi and Raw Research to identify cardiovascular disease survivors and suitable locations for the red bench installations. Archie's bench was installed with support from Billericay Town Council.
"Lucie and Archie's story shows the true reality of living with cardiovascular disease, and we are so grateful that they are courageously sharing their experiences to help others," said Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation.
New research commissioned by BHF reveals concerning statistics about cardiovascular disease in the UK. Every three minutes, someone dies from cardiovascular conditions, which affect more than eight million people nationwide.
The survey of 2,000 adults living with cardiovascular disease found that 65 percent had experienced mental health challenges due to their condition. Additionally, 73 percent agreed that people mistakenly believe cardiovascular disease only affects certain demographics like older individuals.
Changing Perceptions and Funding Research
Lucie, who is running the London Marathon this year on behalf of BHF, has become an advocate for cardiovascular disease awareness after initially struggling to discuss her son's condition.
"When Archie was younger I felt uncomfortable talking about it - I didn't want to think about Archie's heart condition, let alone talk to people about it," she admitted. "But I feel differently now. It impacted my mental health - I used to be so worried about Archie's future."
The British Heart Foundation hopes the red bench campaign will encourage more people to share their experiences with cardiovascular disease and help change dangerous misconceptions about who is affected.
The charity continues to fund groundbreaking research including the CureHeart programme, which seeks new treatments for inherited heart muscle diseases, and artificial intelligence projects that could predict heart attacks years in advance and improve detection of hidden heart rhythm conditions.
"Research will help us save and improve more lives, but the only way we can fund the scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow is thanks to the public's generous donations," emphasized Dr. Griffiths.
