Thameslink train driver runs to the Max

Brighton-based Thameslink train driver Helen Biggs completed the Great North Run last Sunday, the first of two big races she is tackling for the Max Appeal charity.

Max Appeal supports the families of sufferers of the incurable genetic condition DiGeorge Syndrome, also called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Despite not being widely known, this syndrome affects an estimated one in 4,000 people and can cause lifelong physical and mental problems.

Helen, who works mainly on Thameslink's Brighton-Bedford route, has already raised £600, including £100 donated by Thameslink's operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Helen takes on the Great South Run in Portsmouth in October.

Helen, 32, has been a driver on Thameslink since 2008. “I chose to support Max Appeal as I know they do really important work to help the families affected by 22q,” she said. “And as a small charity, every penny raised and every conversation that raises awareness goes such a long way.”

Helen heard about Max Appeal from fellow driver Mark Tripp, a trustee of the charity whose son has the syndrome. Mark said: “22q11 is very much a condition that requires the close support of all those around, and Helen has once again emphasised the fact that the railway is like a family with the support she has shown to me, my son and Max Appeal.”

Readers can donate to Max Appeal via Helen’s JustGiving web page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/helenbiggs2017.

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Notes to editors

For more information email press.office@gtrailway.com or call:

Southern and Gatwick Express press office: 0203 750 2030

Thameslink and Great Northern press office: 0203 750 2031

Max Appeal

Max Appeal was founded by parents of children diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome/22q11.2 deletion. The small national charity is run by a group of dedicated volunteers backed up with a panel of medical professionals. For more information visit http://www.maxappeal.org.uk/.

DiGeorge syndrome, named after Angelo DiGeorge, the American physician who discovered it, is caused by the deletion of a small segment of chromosome 22. The most common symptoms include congenital heart problems, specific facial features, frequent infections, developmental delay, learning problems and cleft palate. Associated conditions include kidney problems, hearing loss, and auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

About 90% of cases arise during early development, while 10% are inherited from a parent.