Help HeartKids help kids
When two-week-old Chase Porter refused to feed and felt cold to touch his parents knew something was wrong.
The Hamilton couple bundled up their new born, took him to the local after hours and were prepared to be told everything was OK and they were just being nervous, first time parents. Little did they know their actions saved their little boy’s life.
By the time they got to Waikato hospital their wee boy was in heart failure.
“Within moments of arriving Chase was whisked away. We counted 10 doctors at one stage, all shouting instructions and orders and we had absolutely no idea what was going on. But when the hospital sent for the Chaplin we braced ourselves.”
It took doctors three hours to resuscitate Chase, and all his parents Kelsi Young and Andy Porter knew was that there was an issue with his heart.
After numerous tests the cardiac specialist gave the young couple the bad news. Chase had the incredibly rare and fatal heart condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, usually only found in 90-year-old men.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, he also had Left Ventricle Noncompaction Syndrome and a mitral valve leak, the ‘trifecta’ of heart defects Kelsi calls it. If this tiny baby was to survive he’d need a heart transplant, but he was just too small.
Chase is one of the 12 babies born every week in New Zealand with a heart defect.
A CHD (congenital heart defect) is the number one cause of death in babies and infants and affects more than 600 new families a year.
Thankfully, standing by their side, through every traumatic diagnosis and surgical procedure, is Heart Kids — the only not-for-profit organisation in New Zealand dedicated to supporting heart children, otherwise known as ‘born fighters’, throughout their lives.
This week — June 4-10 — Heart Kids is appealing to the New Zealand public for donations to help them continue their dedicated and much needed support for Kiwi kids like Chase.
Rob Lutter, CEO of Heart Kids New Zealand, says every year, more than 600 major heart surgeries are performed on children or babies, sometimes in their first few hours of life.
“For many, this won’t be their last operation and they will continue to face the dayto-day challenges associated with their heart condition — and that’s what we are here for.
“While there are surgical procedures that can improve the heart’s function, there is neither a prevention nor cure for a CHD.”
Heart Kids has over 8000 members and is growing by 15 per cent each year. They provide heart children and their families with practical, emotional and psycho-social services — be it an information brochure, specialist equipment, leadership development for heart youth and adults, specialised camps for heart kids, an opportunity to connect with other families or a hot meal for hospital-bound families.
For little Chase’s parents Heart Kids has been invaluable.
“Being able to connect with other parents has been amazing. I describe the past year as like being on a rollercoaster without a harness, so knowing you are not alone is the most reassuring thing,” says Kelsi.
Chase’s tiny heart is only working at 30 per cent so it is hard to predict what the future holds. But one thing is for certain, Kelsi and Andy just take one day at a time and enjoy every single minute of being with the gorgeous little boy.
This week, Heart Kids is appealing to Kiwis to donate generously to help them provide much-needed support to New Zealand children born fighting CHD.
Heart Kids receives no funding from the government and needs your help.