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A Land Rover was caught up in a controversial political prank on the steps of Parliament recently. Enough of that.
Here’s the real story about the important fundraising effort the historic Land Rover is part off, all in the cause of trying to improve health outcomes for babies and young children.
Dr Julian Paton, a professor at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, was at the Auckland Brit and Euro Classic Car Show last Sunday at Pakuranga, and the Times found him next to the Land Rover.
Dr Paton was wearing a t-shirt with Drive 4 Hearts printed on it and the Land Rover had matching signage.
It’s a unique vehicle being the first Land Rover that came to New Zealand to Wellington Motor Company in October 1948.
“Drive 4 Hearts is all about raising money to develop a new heart valve for children with rheumatic heart disease,” Dr Paton said.
“Currently, the problem has been these children have needed repeated operations because the valves put into their hearts don’t grow when their small hearts start to develop and grow.
“You’ve got to bear in mind that by the age of 20, 40 per cent of these children are dead.
“Our idea is to make a valve that will be living, and as a result of its living it will grow as that little heart grows. It’s a single operation.
“So, a single operation, a single valve that grows with the heart is the solution we’re coming up with.”
The Drive 4 Hearts fundraising effort for medical research and development is all about driving the “very special vehicle”, the Land Rover, from Dunedin to Auckland, 2168 kilometres.
“It hadn’t been driven for more than 100 kilometres before we jumped in it in Dunedin. It needed a little bit of fine-tuning,” Dr Paton said.
“We decided we’d use this as a fundraiser, because motor engines have valves.
“So, there is a link. When people have come to look at the car and they’ve also got an interest in rheumatic heart disease, the valve serves a similar purpose in the engine as it does in the heart.
“In the engine it’s controlling the flow of gases. In the heart it’s controlling the direction of blood flow.
“It’s pushing into areas of biomedical research, using a multi-disciplinary approach.”
Dr Paton directs the Heart Research Centre at the University of Auckland – Manaaki Manawa.
“One of the beauties of that heart research centre is we bring together everyone who is interested in heart research,” he said.
“We had cardiothoracic surgeons who operate on children involved in this research project. We had tissue engineers, bio engineers, physiologists, all together.
“That’s what’s unique about this project and the University of Auckland. It’s not only the skill and multi-disciplinary talent but the facilities we have.
“Our idea is to initially test this valve in a lamb. We can monitor the lamb’s valve as it grows to ensure it grows as the lamb’s heart grows and into an adult sheep.”
It sounds like expensive work.
“Yes, it is and we’re trying for aim for about $100,000. We’re at $67,000, so if your readers can help, they should go online to Drive 4 Hearts.
“That takes you to the Just Giving page. Donations would be much appreciated.
As for the vehicle, Dr Paton says: “This Land Rover is probably one of the most precious cars in New Zealand.
“It came as a single shipment as a demonstrator because this was the first time the world had seen a civilian four-by-four vehicle.
“One of things it did [in 1948] to demonstrate its off-road capabilities was to drive up Parliament’s steps.”
As for the recent shambles of an incident at Parliament, Paton said: “We were told we could park in front of the steps but not go on them.
“That’s what we did, and you know what happened afterwards.
“Unfortunately, the news media [at Parliament covering the event] got the wrong end of the stick.
“People didn’t realise why we were there – raising money for heart research.”
Dr Paton said he had lots of interest from people at the Auckland Brit and Euro Classic Car Show at Lloyd Elsmore Park, about the Land Rover and the fundraising cause.
“Rheumatic heart disease is a disease of a developing country not a developed country like New Zealand.
“We should be embarrassed we have this. We’re all about trying to do something about it by developing this incredibly new valve, with the car, the 20th Land Rover in the world.
“It’s probably the most original production Land Rover in the world. It’s a highly sought after vehicle for the people who are fanatical about them like I am.
“I’ve been restoring them since I was 14.”
And what’s it like as a ride?
“Well, it’s not fast but then when you’ve got beautiful countryside to look at you don’t want to go fast,” said Dr Paton.
“We cruise around at about 60-65kph, but we’ve been on all sorts of mountain passes, for example, the Molesworth, when you don’t need to go fast because it’s a gravel road and this vehicle has not failed, not missed a beat since we left Dunedin.”
- To make donations to the Drive 4 Hearts project, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/drive4hearts
