Patrick's Story
When James and Louisa discovered their six-day-old baby had a
serious heart condition, they feared the worst.
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: "With the support we received from the BHF we
have the best gift we could ever ask for – our little boy, happy
and healthy.
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."
Help save more lives - make a
donation today to the BHF
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