Peter Smith, Bombardier
On the 2nd and 3rd of June, myself and 9 colleagues will be riding 140 miles from Whitehaven to Newcastle to raise money for C.H.U.F (Children’s Heart Unit Fund), based in the Freeman’s hospital, Newcastle. This is where my daughter Lucy had her heart transplant 18months ago.
When Lucy was 4 months old she developed Dilated Cardiomyopathy (an Enlarged Heart) from a virus, her heart failed and she was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. She was kept alive on E.C.M.O (a heart and lung bypass machine) for 2 weeks. Whilst on this full life support, she suffered a brain haemorrhage, kidney failure, septicaemia, lung collapse and other complications. She was given less than 1 percent chance of survival. She pulled through, and was transferred to the Freeman hospital, and immediately fitted with a Berlin Heart. This was an artificial heart that hung out from her chest, and was controlled by a computer at the end of her bed.
After 9 weeks in intensive care, and yet more complications (like internally bleeding for 12 days), she finally got a donor heart. The transplant was a success. Days after the operation, she needed a pacemaker fitting, and a tracheostomy to help her breathe. The pacemaker is for life, as the donor heart’s electrical rhythm never returned. She had her tracheostomy for 12 months, and was fed through a tube in her nose for 16 months. Since both have been removed she has gone from strength to strength, and now rattles round like any normal 2 year old.
We continue to receive unbelievable support from the Freeman’s, and take Lucy to clinic their every 6 weeks for her heart to be scanned, and blood levels checked.
Many, many other children suffer similar heart problems, some that require transplants, and some that have countless operation’s to improve their condition. The Freeman’s hospital has the best success rate in all of Europe for children’s heart transplants and open heart surgery, and relies on donated money to fund the equipment required.
Please, please give generously to the JustGiving site below, the support that this hospital has given my family and many others has been phenomenal. I would like to help pay them back just a little for the gift of seeing my little girl smile every day, and your help to do this will be truly appreciated.
Thank you.
