Big steps for little hearts – one bumpy ride at a time

‘RHD is a disease in a developing country not a developed country, so why have we still got it?’

A piece of New Zealand’s vehicular history stopped off in Blenheim on Sunday afternoon. The Land Rover in question departed Dunedin on 31 January, aiming to take a scenic off-road route to Auckland and arrive there about 16 or 17 February.

The first Land Rover to be registered in New Zealand paid a short visit to Marlborough at the weekend as part of a nationwide fundraiser. The Land Rover was sent to Wellington Motors from the UK factory on 16 September 1948 as a demonstrator vehicle.

It possesses chassis number “R860020” — meaning it was the 20th production vehicle ever built, and because of that, it is referred to as “20”.

The vehicle belongs to Julian Paton, a professor at the University of Auckland and director of Manaaki Manawa The Centre for Heart Research.

Professor Paton is driving “20” 1800km to raise funds for heart research. The aim of Drive 4 Hearts is to raise $300,000 to combat rheumatic heart disease.

“I feel dusty. I’ve got a sore throat, I’ve got a blocked nose, and I need to get a chiropractor,” he quips. “We have been through some of the most gorgeous countryside the world has to offer,” he says.

Some of the gorgeousness Professor Paton refers to includes Dunstan Road, Danseys Pass, Hakataramea Valley, Mackenzie Pass and the Molesworth, which the team completed on Saturday afternoon.

“In the middle of the Molesworth, we were flagged down by a car coming the other way and this old chap jumps out. I was hoping to meet you and see the Land Rover,” he says. “But I also wanted to tell you my great-grandson has had four open-heart operations, and that was moving. He pulled out from his pocket $25, and that’s what he wanted to give. It united us.”

Heart disease, he says, is the biggest killer in New Zealand and much of it is preventable. “What we are raising money for is a new heart valve for children with rheumatic heart disease, which is killing our kids. [Rheumatic heart disease] is a disease in a developing country not a developed country, so why have we still got it?” he says.

Professor Paton’s team is currently tackling the challenge of children with RHD needing heart valve replacements that don’t grow with them, requiring multiple surgeries over time.

“I’m embarrassed living in a country that has rheumatic heart disease. The other motivation is more political, with the Government not funding scientists like myself to carry out fundamental research to fix some of these cardiovascular diseases. My research needs several years to pull together a multi-disciplinary research team to be able to make a valve that will grow.

“We are going to make, for the first time in the world, a valve that grows as the heart grows,” he says.

Originally from Somerset in the UK, Professor Paton has been passionate about Land Rovers since he was 12.

One of the backstories to the “20” is that it once drove up Parliament steps. Professor Paton and his support team say they had permission to do the same once they arrived in Wellington yesterday, hoping to gain “extra media attention”.

Unfortunately, wires were crossed. When ACT Party leader David Seymour sought to replicate the moment, he was stopped by security. Parliament’s Speaker Gerry Brownlee had, apparently, said no.

“We’re trying to raise $300,000; we are about $50,000 and we have a long way to go. What we are lacking is more national exposure to this amazing story,” Professor Paton says. “The south has allowed us to connect and link with communities who do like Land Rovers.”

Progress of the journey can be tracked by visiting the Drive 4 Hearts JustGiving website or Instagram. Donations can be made via the JustGiving website.