A WOMAN who had life-saving heart surgery just weeks after her father had a similar operation has raised £24,000 to buy equipment for the surgeon who carried out the procedures.

Allestree hairdresser Sue Duffin and her dad, David Hearne, both had a diseased valve replaced at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital last July.

Top, from left, Giles Peek, his partner, Laura, Sue Duffin and her father, David Hearne.

Above, Sue, centre, with, from left, the fund-raising committee, Emma Walkup, Rachel Selwood, Charlotte Brown and Liz Bullivant.

David, 76, of Hedingham Way, Mickleover, also underwent a bypass operation.

Only weeks after going under the knife, Sue set about organising a fund-raising ball to buy equipment for surgeon Giles Peek.

She persuaded friends and businesses to donate a host of auction prizes.

They included a sight-seeing helicopter ride, two tickets to watch the filming of Sky One's Soccer AM programme and tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera at London's West End.

Sue sold 290 tickets for the glitzy event, which was held in a marquee at Derbyshire County Cricket Ground and was hosted by auctioneer Graham Penny, a regular on TV show Homes Under The Hammer.

The 49-year-old, who owns Sassy Hair, Tanning and Beauty, was helped by her "organising committee", which included close friend Rachel Selwood.

She said: "I feel extremely pleased and grateful to all the people who have helped and supported me because at the end of the day I couldn't have done it on my own.

"I think people thought I was quite young to have something like this done and people I knew were shocked and wanted to help.

"It was extremely hard work – it took us six months to organise. Rachel was such a great help. I couldn't have done it without her."

The ball raised £23,000 and the fund's coffers were boosted by £1,100 by Richard Birkin, of Brailsford, who also had heart surgery at the Leicester hospital and met Sue while she was visiting her father there. He held a sponsored walk.

Sue wanted to raise cash to pay for a head camera for Mr Peek, which would enable him to film operations to help train other medics.

"If I had known beforehand how much work it was going to be, I would have perhaps thought twice about it but I am so pleased that we have been able to buy the equipment," said Sue.

"My surgeon said he used to have it when he worked at Great Ormond Street hospital but that he had been waiting six years because they just did not have the budget at Leicester.

"At the end of the day, people and children from all over Derbyshire go to Leicester for heart operations."