Little Milly in need of heart
A TERRIFIED mum has spoken of the life-changing moment she was flown to Newcastle with her oneyear-old daughter in a critical condition.
Charlene Byrne and her husband Gavin were rushed from Dublin Children’s Hospital with their daughter Milly on March 17 when her health deteriorated.
The couple had noticed a change in their daughter’s breathing, but just hours later Milly was admitted to the intensive care unit at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital after doctors there established she needed a life-saving transplant.
And they continue to endure an agonising wait for a donation.
Charlene, 36, said: “Milly had never been sick or shown any signs of a heart condition, so we have been thrown into a complete whirlwind.”
At first, Charlene suspected that Milly may be suffering from pneumonia, but when she reached the Freeman Hospital, staff diagnosed her daughter with dilated cardiomyopathy.
The condition causes complications with the heart muscle which over-extends and weakens, making it difficult to pump blood around the body.
Charlene added: “We’ve been told that Milly can’t recover from the condition that she has on her heart, so we’re in Newcastle for the foreseeable future until Milly can have a heart transplant.”
The family arrived in Newcastle with nothing but the clothes they were wearing and no idea of where they were going to stay in a city that was completely foreign to them.
They also had to leave their three other children, aged between four and 16, at home in Ireland, which has been made particularly difficult during the coronavirus pandemic.
The mum-of-four said: “We have literally had to leave everything in Ireland to make sure Milly is going to be OK.
“Our four-year-old daughter Megan has no idea about what’s happening to her sister, she just thinks we can’t come home because a virus has stopped all of the planes from flying.”
During this difficult time, Charlene and her family have been supported by the Children’s Heart Unit Foundation (CHUF), which Charlene explains has been a “lifeline” for the family.
The charity has provided vital accommodation, clothing, toiletries and food for the family, which has helped to ease financial worries and allowed them to focus on the care of their daughter.
CHUF provides accommodation at Scott House, based at the Freeman Hospital, which holds 18 rooms for families who have travelled for their children to receive heart surgery.
They also fund hotel stays and transport for families who are unable to stay at Scott House, as well as food, care packages and entertainment for children in hospital.
Charlene said: “We’ve had to leave our jobs in Ireland so the financial support has probably been the main thing that’s helped us.
“It’s also nice to hear from people who are going through the same thing as us. I know that if I ever need anything, I can contact someone at CHUF and they can help.”
However, in the weeks since coronavirus gripped the UK, CHUF has been unable to carry out essential fundraising, putting the future of the charity in jeopardy.
And now it has launched an urgent appeal for donations from members of the public to help raise a minimum of £15,000 in the next eight weeks.
Charlotte Campbell, director of fundraising and operations at CHUF, said: “This is one of the biggest challenges we have faced as a charity.
“Our support is more in demand than ever, while our fundraising, which we rely on to operate, is extremely restricted and events have been cancelled or postponed to keep people safe.
“Without funds coming in we won’t be able to continue which is a huge worry.”
■ Donations to CHUF can be made here: http://www.chuf.org.uk/donate/make-adonation/