Amina Hussain, whose baby son was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect, is leading a new British Heart Foundation (BHF) fundraising partnership.

The business woman was recently named as the CEO of the BHF’s Asian Business Board (ABB), based in the West Midlands.  She is a former co-President of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

Amina’s son Junaid, now aged 13, was diagnosed as a baby with a rare life-threatening congenital heart defect called Cor Triatriatum, where the left or right heart chamber can be divided by a thin membrane. 

Junaid underwent major open-heart surgery aged 9 months at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and has made a full recovery. He is a keen footballer and has taken part in coaching sessions led by former England and Aston Villa winger, Tony Daley. 

ABB has been set up with the BHF to raise awareness and essential funding for research into pioneering treatments for heart and circulatory disease, which disproportionately affects people in South Asian communities.

Risk of coronary heart disease is approximately 50% higher for people of South Asian heritage compared to the wider population.

BHF Business Boards are made up of groups of business leaders in cities across the UK, harnessing the power of the local business community to raise funds and help make heart and circulatory diseases a thing of history. 

The Asian Business Board will form part of a growing network which already includes Heart of the Tyne and Heart of Oxford

Amina Hussain, who runs her own accountancy firm said: “I am delighted to take this position as CEO and look forward to creating boards around the country predominantly where South Asian Communities are based.  

It is important to get the message to our communities, raise awareness and fundraise for research aimed at people of the South Asian heritage background living in UK.”

BHF Fundraising Manager, Balvinder Kaur said: “We are delighted about the development of an Asian Business Board. It is the first of its kind and we are hoping that the predicted fundraising will help accelerate focused research and have a huge impact on the South Asian Community. 

We want to tackle inequalities head on raising awareness and saving lives. 

A big thank you to Amina for leading this initiative with tenacity and commitment. We look forward to our work together with the business community in making a tremendous impact going forward.”