One sick twin and one healthy twin

Twin boys Fergus and Finley are a happy pair. But for Fergus, life is that much tougher – he was born with a rare heart condition.

Already the 20-month-old has been through two major surgeries, with another likely in the next couple of years but, in spite of the obstacles, his mother Falyn Cranston has always looked on the bright side.

‘‘It has been hard when we’ve been in hospital and had to look after the two at once but it’s also helped us to make things more normal, because we do have to just keep on keeping on for our other boy.’’

Over the past two years, Cranston has been helped significantly by Heart Kids Wellington, an organisation that helps parents navigate the trials of having a child with heart issues.

‘‘We signed up straight away because we really didn’t know what to expect and we didn’t know anyone else who had been through the same thing.

‘‘We were really keen to talk to some people who knew what we were in for.’’

The family found out at the 12-week mark that something wasn’t quite right.Twelve babies are born with a congenital heart defect in New Zealand each week, with about 550 major heart surgeries performed on children each year.

Surgeons often have to pack children’s chest cavities with an icy slush when performing open-heart surgeries to slow the metabolism down.

This gives the surgeons longer to perform the complex operations needed to fix the children’s small hearts.

As a way to raise money for Heart Kids Wellington, Cranston along with dozens of other Wellingtonians will attempt to replicate that chilly feeling, plunging into icy cold water for 360 seconds.

The organisation’s support services co-ordinator, Angela Haddon, said with the regional branch currently working with more than 500 families, fundraising efforts were essential.

So far, Cranston’s team had raised more than $5000 – just a drop in the bucket she said compared with the help she had received from the organisation, particularly in the early stages.

Wellington Heart Stopper Challenge, Midland Park, today from 12pm.

FALYN CRANSTON Fergus Cranston, left, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, while his twin brother Finley has had perfect health. Even before the twins were born, the Cranston family was already receiving support from Heart Kids Wellington.