You don't know you're lucky until you've been unlucky. From birth our son Ira had a heart murmur, something we were told numerous times was nothing to worry about. In September 2022 at only 3 months old, Ira’s health started to decline. To cut a long story short, following a routine heart murmur appointment we unexpectedly found ourselves on Ocean Ward (Children's Cardiac Ward) with Ira in a severe state of heart failure. The heart murmur was in fact a result of an undiagnosed congenital heart condition called Aortic Stenosis an abnormality of a valve in the heart. We spent a week in hospital, with Ira undergoing a successful balloon valvuloplasty. This procedure helps to reduce the severity of the narrowing, but doesn’t make the valve normal. It can and will be repeated, with the hope of prolonging an inevitable open-heart surgery to replace the valve.

During our short stay we met many families, some who had been there many times before (treatment is generally ongoing, so until your child is 18 and can move on to the Adult Ward you’re badged to Ocean Ward for Treatment) and others like us having unexpectedly found themselves there with the bare minimum. It’s in cases like this where the Families of Ocean Ward Charity come in to help out, we are so fortunate to live close by, others had come from much further away and were unable to get things brought in to them.

The charity supply things for the children and their families to make the stay more pleasant such as arts and craft materials, WiFi, i-Pads, decorations for key events in the year, replacement parent kitchen facilities and so much more.

Luke, Ira’s Dad will be running the Maverick Jurassic 100km Ultra in October 2024 in aid of the Families of Ocean Ward. A one day event starting at Hardy Monument following the South Dorset Ridgeway to Osmington, where it picks up the South West Coast Path, with an elevation gain of 2553m.

Laurel and her sister Carley have already taken on the Jurassic Coast Challenge. Walking 100km and 2300m of elevation over two days, from Corfe Castle to Bridport.

This is all in aid of the great work the Families of Ocean Ward do and it would be great if you are able to donate anything at all, as you’ll be helping our family and other just like us.

What is Aortic Stenosis?

Aortic stenosis means that the aortic valve cannot open fully. This is the valve which allows blood to flow from the heart to the main artery supplying the body – the aorta.

A bit about Families of Ocean Ward:

Families of Ocean Ward is a registered charity (1145013) established in 2012, set up and run voluntarily by parents of the children treated on Ocean Ward. There are no salaries paid and 100% of your donation will be used to support the heart children, their families and the Ward.

Their mission is to provide financial and emotional support to families of heart children treated on Ocean Ward. They do this via their Facebook group and trying to make the ward a home from home environment with WIFI, Smart TV’s, iPads, Portable DVD Players, Toys, replacing parent bed mattresses, bedside chairs, kitchen equipment and other soft furnishings. Outside of the Ward they have an annual family day out to Paulton’s Park, a Christmas Party and a Teenage Activity Event.

They also support the Ward providing vital medical equipment such as SATS Monitors, Non-Invasive Paediatric Heart Monitors, Electronic Hospital Grade Breast Pumps and Coaguchek Home Testing Kits for children on Warfarin at the request of the ward. They are sponsoring a Nurse Specialist to run the Home Monitoring Programme which enables more babies to go home in between stages of surgery with close monitoring.