Carluke primary pupil honoured with British Heart Foundation bench

Annabelle Main, who lives with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare and severe congenital heart defect, began primary one at Law Primary School in Carluke, South Lanarkshire, in August 2025.

This marked a significant milestone for the young pupil, whose parents were told at the 20-week scan that she would have a limited chance of ever starting school.

To celebrate Annabelle's journey, a bright red bench has been unveiled in the school playground as part of a UK-wide campaign by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Annabelle Main and her red bench (Image: BHF)

Barry and Christine Main, Annabelle’s parents, said: "Every day she goes to school is a small win for us as a family.

"Getting her to school was always the target so when we got there, it was a huge thing for the family.

"It’s hard to put into words how emotional we felt."

This year, the BHF’s campaign is marking its 65th anniversary by placing 65 red benches across the UK, each symbolising an individual’s story of living with cardiovascular disease.

Annabelle’s story is one of survival against the odds and the power of research to transform lives.

Barry Main said: "When we were pregnant, we were given a 57% chance of Annabelle making it to school, then after her latest surgery the cardiologist said her percentage was much lower due to her very low birth weight.

"Annabelle knows she has a bench because she has a special heart but it’s great that it will help to raise awareness, especially amongst kids, and it may even encourage people to fundraise to support research."

The entire school marked the occasion on Tuesday, May 26 with a fundraising skip-a-thon, raising money for the BHF and promoting awareness about heart conditions.

Lianne Daly, acting head of Law Primary School, said: "Naturally we are a very inclusive school, but we are delighted to have the BHF red bench here and it’s now part of the community.

"Annabelle is a very shy wee girl, but she knows the bench is for her and there is awareness throughout the whole school that Annabelle is very special.

"Parents know this is a vital charity so the skip-a-thon was about fundraising and raising awareness because lots of families here will have been impacted by cardiovascular disease."

Every three minutes, someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease, with the condition affecting more than 730,000 people in Scotland alone.

Before the BHF was launched, most babies born with a severe congenital heart defect in the UK didn’t live to see their first birthday.

Now, more than four out of five babies diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in the UK survive to adulthood.

This research includes the work of BHF Professor Robert Anderson, who mapped the anatomy and electrical system of different congenital heart defects in the 1970s and 1980s.

This helped surgeons to avoid putting a stitch where it could disrupt an electrical circuit in the heart, making surgery significantly safer for people like Annabelle.

The red bench has been unveiled at Law Primary School in Carluke (Image: BHF)

David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: "Annabelle’s story shows the true reality of living with cardiovascular disease, and we are so grateful that she is courageously sharing her experiences to help others.

"Despite being one of the UK’s biggest killers, our new findings show cardiovascular disease is still misunderstood or not taken seriously - and that those living with it face judgement and challenges.

"By sharing the stories of people who live with cardiovascular disease on our iconic red benches across the UK, we hope to start more conversations that change dangerous misconceptions.

"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."

To support vital research, donations can be made to the British Heart Foundation by visiting bhf.org.uk.