‘We’re so grateful that our son was given gift of life’
THE parents of a baby boy from Runcorn whose life was saved by an organ transplant have thanked the mum and dad of the donor child whose heart lives on in their son.
Alison Pratt, from Runcorn, lived through a year of both great stress and great joy after falling pregnant with twin girls at the same time she knew her nine-month-old son Charlie needed the life saving operation.
Alison, 39, gave birth to twins Lizzy and Rosie on Charlie’s first birthday, earlier this year, after surgeons had fitted a mechanical Berlin heart to keep him alive.
Shortly afterwards, Alison and design engineer husband Carl, 34, saw their son receive a donor heart.
Alison, who works in youth justice, said: “Charlie was healthy.
“Then out of the blue you are told he is extremely poorly and may need a new heart within two days of seeing your GP.
“We then had to go to Newcastle, and it was a whirlwind.”
For several days, she was unable to see her son. ●
She added: “It was fine most of the time, but I did get flu between Christmas and New Year. I was banished from seeing Charlie for a few days due to the risk of infection.
“They have adult accommodation for transplant patients and I had to go in there. I was in a flat on my own, and during that time he took a massive dip and ended up in intensive care.”
Alison said they are now backing the Daily Mirror’s Change The Law For Life campaign, which will see a new opt out law on organ donation introduced in 2020.
And they are raising awareness of the Sick Children’s Trust, the charity which provided a hospital flat for them and the twins.
She thanked Everton Football Club, Carl’s local pub in Wallasey, The Saddle, and his sister Sally for helping to raise more than £5,000 for the trust.
Alison is convinced the campaign raised awareness before Charlie received his new heart, saying: “Charlie did not have long to wait compared to some children. I don’t think that he would have got his heart so quickly without that awareness of the need for organ donors.”
At one point, the family contemplated moving from Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital to Alder Hey to be closer to Carl’s family in Wallasey and Ali’s parents Christine and Bruce Newton, who live in Runcorn.
“But we realised we would have really struggled,” added Alison, who also had gestinational diabetes while pregnant with the twins.
“The Freeman staff said Charlie’s condition could go off a cliff at any time. We had such fantastic support from our families and friends. My mum and dad moved house for us.
“When we did come back from hospital, it was moving back with three children into a new house. It was completely crazy.”
Charlie is now at home, living life to the full.
Alison added: “We have written to the donor family to say thank you with a picture of Charlie and told them about his two little sisters.
“We realise how lucky we are.” ● Join the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk