Patrick's Story
When James and Louisa discovered their
six-day-old baby had a serious heart condition, they feared the
worst.
With the support we received from the BHF we have the best gift we could ever ask for – our little boy, happy and healthy.
The main artery that
pumps blood to the rest of the body was too narrow, making him
breathless and unable to feed properly. To complicate matters, his
heart also had several holes in it.
At least 4,600 babies like Patrick are born with a heart defect
each year in the UK. Thanks to pioneering research funded by BHF, 4
out of 5 babies now survive compared to just 1 in 5 in the
1950s.
Patrick underwent a non-invasive proceedure
called balloon angioplasty which
was developed with the help of the research funded by the BHF. This
proceedure helped to widen Patrick's aorta in the least
invasive way possible.
When he was 15 months old Patrick then had to undergo open heart
surgery. This was also developed partly thanks to BHF-funded
research, and has given Patrick a new lease of life.
With their beautiful son now a happy and energetic little boy,
James and Louisa know just how crucial it is for BHF research to
continue.
Louisa says: "Patrick has just had his second
birthday and is doing incredibly well. He was walking at
11 months and is developing into a real little character. His
energy and zest for life are incredible.
To anyone thinking of donating to the BHF I would say it is a
'must-give'. Their research is quite simply life-saving, and
without it Patrick may not be the healthy little boy he is
now."
Please help more children like Patrick -
give a regular donation