A Guiseley woman, whose son was diagnosed with the heart muscle disease cardiomyopathy before he was born, is staging a Great Pancake Party to help the fight against the condition.

Sarah Bishop’s world was turned upside down when she discovered at 23 weeks of pregnancy that her baby son Marty had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Doctors told her he was unlikely to survive until birth. However, he defied the predictions and Marty was born in 2010.

He is now three years old and lives a full and active life.

Sarah, 41, of Weavers Grange, has joined the Cardiomyopathy Association’s first national fundraising campaign, the Great Pancake Party, to help families affected by the disease.

The Great Pancake Party is encouraging families up and down the country to stage a pancake party in their homes, offices or community buildings and raise money towards more cardiomyopathy education for doctors and nurses.

Cardiomyopathy affects people of all ages, including babies, usually runs in families and is the biggest medical cause of sudden death in the under-35s.

The charity, which provides information and support to affected families, aims to raise £25,000 from this year’s parties, which run from this Saturday to March 8, including Pancake Day on Tuesday.

Sarah, who owns a children’s musical theatre club, said: “I regularly support the Cardiomyopathy Association through different fundraising events I hold. The charity was a lifeline to me when Marty was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

“I felt it wouldn’t have been right to not stage a pancake party.”

Sarah is friends with Wendi Peters, best-known for playing motormouth Cilla Battersby in Coronation Street and a celebrity chef. Wendi has given the Cardiomyopathy Association her own exclusive recipe for black forest pancakes to help promote the national event. The recipe can be found on the charity’s Great Pancake Party website, at greatpancakeparty.co.uk.

The website gives ideas about holding a party and is full of recipes and up-to-date news about other pancake parties being held.

Wendi is encouraging people to support Sarah’s pancake party, which takes place at her home on March 7. She has invited family, friends and work colleagues to attend.

Wendi added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to help such a wonderful cause.

“Baking is a real passion of mine and I find it so therapeutic, but also such fun. Have a go and help raise lots of money.”

For more information about cardiomyopathy see the Cardiomyopathy Association’s website cardiomyopathy.org, e-mail info@ cardiomyopathy.org or call the charity on freephone 0800 0181024.