The little ones came into the world after 34 weeks. Weighing less than two kilos and Lynn’s heart was not functioning properly. The junction in the middle of the heart was not closed and the heart valves were not well developed, causing the little one to have a high heart rate.
“An operation was not possible at the time, because the risks were too great,” says Han. “The goal was to help little Lynn grow as much as possible so that the operation would be “easier”. Under five kilos the risk is much greater.”
But that turned out not to be easy afterwards, because she also spit out the milk due to the high heart rate. “In the end, little Lynn turned out to be a real fighter.” A small white stripe on her body is the only reminder of the serious operation she had to undergo at the time. She is now three years old and almost healthy, just like her twin brother Sven.
Kind of heart
It was therefore not such a difficult choice for Han to participate in the sporting event for the Hartekind. “A very good reason to skate 150 laps with the aim of donating money for the necessary scientific research, so that fewer children die as a result of serious heart disease.”
Although he has been skating almost all his life, he only mastered the technique after the age of forty. “My wife Ingrid gave me skating lessons as a gift at De Meent,” says Han. “I initially had to unlearn a lot.” There, training was mainly focused on technique. He continued this training for many years, together with friend Andre van den Berg. After that it was mainly long distance skating, both on artificial and natural ice.