Éile Ford who volunteers at our store in Stowmarket, on the floor and till, tells her moving story behind why she supports BHF.
Tell us about you!
In my spare time I crochet and draw. I will be going to university in September were I will be studying animation. I also really enjoy learning about whales.
What inspired you to sign up for volunteering?
First, the cause is quite "close to my heart" so to speak. Secondly I was suggested to volunteer in the summer holiday because of my birth story.
Éile's story
My mother finding out that she was pregnant with triplets was just the start of the very overwhelming story of how I was born. When my mum was at 16 weeks pregnant, she was told that my sister and I wound be conjoined by our hearts at birth because our eggs had not separated properly.
At around 22 weeks, they noticed we’d almost separated fully but our skin was still attached on our chests. I was a lot smaller than my other siblings and would rarely move between scans, the doctors feared that I would pass away and infect my sister being joined through our chests. So, at around 25 weeks, my mother and the doctors decided to separate us in the womb.
The surgery was performed through an old C-section scar and was a success. At almost 7 months in the womb, my sister’s umbilical cord got wrapped around my neck and we managed to pierce our mothers’ womb, causing her to have an emergency C-section. We were kept in the NICU immediately, my sister was born 8lb 7oz, my brother was 5lb 2oz and I was 3lb 3oz. My sister passed away at 14 days old from sudden neonatal death.
My heart is checked by a specialist every six months because it is too big for my body, doctors believe that if I had not been conjoined, I would have not been big enough to survive. So, in a way, I still carry my sister with me.
Would you encourage others to volunteer?
I think volunteering is great for anyone wanting a friendly workplace environment. It gives you somewhere to convert your time and effort directly into a place that helps and supports heart related issues.
Has it helped you at all?
It definitely has made me more sociable; I am usually quite quiet and keep to myself, but volunteering here has made me gain the confidence to speak up and made me enjoy talking to people more.
Thank you, Éile, for sharing your moving heart story, and supporting BHF.