Can you help Heartline?
Our Very Own Saint Jude By Jude’s mum Clare O’Keeffe
My husband and I were attending our 20 week scan for our first child. We were obviously very excited as this was all new territory for us, as we prepared to expand our family.
the special care unit. He was actually the largest baby in there and you wouldn’t have thought he had any struggles. Jude was in special care for three weeks before he was allowed to come home.
through difficult times and create a support network for people that have not been through these things before.
During the scan the nurse said that one side of the heart
Jude really struggled to feed and in the end he was fed on a high-energy milk through a tube. Surgery was scheduled for six months time to try and build up as much strength as possible. Jude had open heart surgery, in November, to patch the holes in his heart. He left Great Ormond Street within three weeks and he seemed so much better, as the blue spells that he had been having subsided. Jude then had to have open heart surgery again at 14 months old as he had to have a pulmonary valve fitted.
While Jude’s little brother was having a hair cut, Jude asked me if he could shave his head and ask family to sponsor him. Jude raised over £800.00 for Heartline Families from our friends and family. His school had also put him forward the St Neots Rotary club award, which he won! Jude was really surprised by this, as he raising the money to help families and wasn’t expecting any recognition.
Things moved quickly
seemed enlarged and that she wanted to get a consultant to have a better look. Things then started to move very quickly and we didn’t really have any time to take everything in. That afternoon we were seen by the consultant who carried out a more detailed scan. Within (what seemed like) minutes we were walking back to our car, calling work to tell them that we had to take the next day off as we had an appointment for the following day at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital for our unborn child.
We were diagnosed and found out we were having a little boy at the same time
We were seen by a consultant at Great Ormond Street who diagnosed our baby with Tetralogy of Fallot with Absent Pulmonary Valve. We decided to find out the sex of our baby and found out that we were having a boy. We wanted to find a name for him early so that we could talk to him even while he was still in my tummy. We struggled with names and then agreed on the name Jude. We read that St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes, which - at that time seemed appropriate considering the circumstances.
Struggling to grow
Jude was born on the 20th May 2005, 1 week early by emergency caesarian as he was struggling to grow in the last week. Jude was born at 6lb 15oz and was placed in
4
Difficulties feeding Jude
Surgery took longer than expected
This surgery was supposed to take five hours but it was nearly eight hours before surgery was finished. Within two weeks Jude was out and at home. He has continued to grow from strengthto-strength.
Jude raises over £800!
An inspiration to all of us
My husband and I couldn’t be anymore proud of him, he is an inspiration and very strong-minded and determined young boy and a great big brother to Maddie and Zak. He has come along way and last year was told he could play football, of which he was so excited to be part. I would like to thank St Neots Football Club for inviting Jude to train with the under 11s team. You’ve made a young boy very happy.
Skydiving, coffee mornings, marathons or sponsored silence. There are lots of ways you can help raise much-needed funds to support us. Please get in contact if you would like more information or if you’re planning to hold a fundraising day. Heartline Families does not charge a fee, but relies entirely on voluntary donations. We are grateful for any support you can give us. There a few different ways to donate: regular donations or a one-off contribution. How does your money help? • £7 monthly donation - could provide the guide: Heart Children: A Practical Handbook • £13 monthly donation - will pay for a wetsuit for a heart child • £25 monthly donation - will help towards the running costs of our caravans • £50 single donation - Towards our Campaign for a new caravan for Heartline Families to have a well earned holiday How can we support you with raising money? We have balloons, collections boxes and much more to help. Alternatively, you can give online, please see Heartline pages on Virginmoneygiving.com, or justgiving.com or get sponsorship forms from Heartline. Make a donation direct – use the buttons on the Heartline Families website or send a cheque. Pay directly into the Heartline Lloyds bank account Sort Code 30-96-96. Account Number: 59276960.
Wanted to give something back to Heartline
Jude recently asked to do something to raise some money for Heartline Families, as he has seen me reading the magazines and was interested in what you do. We have, for many years, kept up to date with the Heartline families stories, as our daughter Madison was born 18 months after Jude and she was born with Pulmonary Stenosis. We have found these stories a source of inspiration. I explained that you help families
5