A COMMUNITY group who help raise funds to support families on their estate are taking on their biggest challenge to date.

Shad Chefs - The Council Estate Food Connoisseurs, are organising a sponsored walk from Blackburn to Blackpool - a distance of almost 30 miles - to raise money for two-and-a-half-year-old Carson Adams, who is due to have major heart surgery in July.

Little Carson was born with congenital heart disease, meaning his heart is on the wrong side of his body and is riddled with holes.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Shane Calvert from Shad Chefs said: "We're doing this to raise some money for Carson and his family for when Carson goes into Alder Hey hospital for massive heart surgery in July.

"While he's in hospital it's obviously going have a big impact on everyone's lives including his two sisters who will be living with their grandma.

"This is massive for Carson and all of his family. What we want to do is raise as much money as possible for them by doing a sponsored walk to Blackpool."

Carson's mum, Amylee, said the family have been shielding since lockdown began, so as well as helping to support them while Carson goes into hospital, she'd like to use some of the money raised to treat her little boy.

Lancashire Telegraph:

She said: "The last two years have been horrendous, he's only two and a half and he's already had two open heart surgeries.

"The doctors told us that his heart is pretty much failing because there's a leak in it.

"He needs this surgery as soon as possible, but the procedure isn't really supposed to be done on anyone under the age of five, but without it, he won't get better."

The major operation involves three different procedures, and Ms Adams says not many have been performed at Alder Hey.

"It's really worrying for us all," she said, "we just have to hope he's strong enough for it.

"If it fails, then his only option is to have a heart transplant.

"It's really nice of Shad Chefs to do this, and my cousin Michael Duckworth is going to go and video it all.

"Hopefully I'll be able to treat Carson once it's over, maybe take him on a nice break somewhere."

Lancashire Telegraph:

Following the operation, Carson will have a long stay in intensive care and will have a permanent pace maker fitted.

Mr Calvert said: "We're going to do the walk in fancy dress, and anyone can join in.

"We'll be doing it in pairs and keeping a two metre distance between each pair so we stick with the social distancing guidelines."

The sponsored walk for Carson will take place on Saturday June 27.

For more details on how to get involved or to sponsor Shad Chefs, visit their Facebook page @ShadChefs.