At 13, Jago was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. It’s like a family curse, as three of his brothers and sisters suffer from the same disease.
“At 16, I set myself the task of attracting at least £1,000 a year for various charity organizations. Since then, I have been raising funds for the CF Trust, the Starlight Children’s Fund, The Above and Beyond, the World Challenge. I traveled 430 kilometers by bike from Bristol to Paris, conquered three peaks in England, Scotland and Wales in 24 hours, climbed Mount Everest to an altitude of 5,500 meters, participated in the Great Southern Run, made my way through the jungles of Vietnam, worked as a volunteer in the Cambodian orphanage,” as Jago talks of his achievements.
He now lives with his parents on a 10-acre estate in Summerford Keynes. The environment is unusual. There is a sculpture park with hedgehogs, birds, foxes, and deer. His father, David Heartland, is a sculptor, and his mother, Serena Stevens, is the founder of a charity for saving wildlife.
“When they told in a grave voice that I had CF, I laughed with relief. No one died! Whenever I find myself in a difficult situation, I smile and move forward.”
Jago never gives up. His ambitious plans include climbing to a height of 4808 meters on Mont Blanc. All the funds he raises will go to his mother’s Oak and Furrows charity fund. And his main goal is helping the Orkambi Foundation, which is introducing an antibiotic for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.
