During last summer, when my daughter, Phoebe, was 4 weeks old she was assessed by doctors in the long jaundice clinic at Lincoln hospital. It was here that they heard a heart murmur and began trying to get emergency scans booked in for that day. We left hospital over 12 hours later having been told that they had identified two holes in her heart, one small (an ASD) and one significant (a VSD).
At 2.5 months old Phoebe was admitted to hospital with poor feeding. A few days into her hospital stay a consultant noticed that Phoebe was demonstrating signs of heart failure. We ended up staying in hospital for nearly 5 weeks. Phoebe was finally allowed home at the end of September, but for the following few months we had the constant worry of open-heart surgery looming over us.
Luckily, her recent scans have been much more positive; the holes are still there but seem to be shrinking and she is now a much healthier baby.
The Cause
Whilst in hospital with Phoebe I found a children’s heart charity, Tiny Tickers, on Instagram. Their aim is to increase early detection rates of cardiac conditions because it is known that spotting a defect early can improve a baby’s chances of survival and long-term quality of life. I had close monitoring throughout my pregnancy and a multitude of extra scans due to a high-risk pregnancy; despite this, we had absolutely no idea about Phoebe’s heart condition. It is estimated that around 6,000 babies are born with a serious heart defect in the UK each year, and just like Phoebe, at least 1,000 of these new-borns head home with no one knowing about their heart conditions and the potential danger that they are in.
Through their sonographer training programme, Tiny Tickers have helped the national average antenatal detection rate to more than double. They continue to place pulse oximetry meters in hospitals across the UK and provide invaluable support to families. As a charity, they are helping to save babies lives across the country and they need financial help to do this. The idea that there could be even the smallest positive to come out of my family’s ordeal is exactly why I am organising this ball and why I am asking for your help.
Our Aim
Our aim is to raise as much money as possible to help Tiny Tickers continue their mission both locally, in Lincoln, and nationally. We are hoping to increase awareness of the issues that face babies with heart defects and to help promote the good work that Tiny Tickers does nationally.
Guests at The Rose Charity Ball will be able to donate on the night through participating in our raffle, and of course, buying a ticket to attend! Businesses can help by sponsoring our event, meaning as much money as possible from the ticket sales can go straight to the charity.
How to Help
We hope that reading this has inspired you to help our cause. There are a number of ways that you can get involved: