Second week of The Sligo Champion’s €200 cash giveaway
A Tubbercurry based family have raised over €8,000 for Crumlin Hospital following a fundraiser they organised after their newborn son received treatment at the hospital.
Declan and Sharon Hannon, along with their son Mattie were excitedly awaiting the arrival of the newest addition to the family. On November 1st, 2018, Sharon went for a routine scan when she got the news that all may not be well.
She said: “November 1st, 2018 is a date etched into the memory banks forever. We went in excitedly for our 20 week scan to find out the sex of our precious little baby. The sonographer happily chatted away and was describing all she was scanning followed by a pause. It’s instant you know something is not as it should and you pray you’re wrong. ‘Maybe lie on your side’ she said - she was trying to find something that wasn’t there and so our journey began.”
A week later and the Hannons were sat in a cardiac clinic in The Coombe, Dublin with other parents in the same boat.
Sharon added: “It was a grim waiting room. There was no excitement just terrified couples. This all meant a new consultant for us, new cardiologist, new terminology.
“It was all a blur. The months passed by and numerous scans and appointments later we were ready to welcome this precious little boy with a congenital heart defect.”
Billy was born on February 26 th 2019 in the Coombe. Minutes after he was born, he was whisked away to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. There, he was looked after by what the family described as “the most amazing group of people ever.” Declan followed his son to the hospital, while Sharon was able to visit the next day. Little Billy was doing extremely well when he arrived and didn’t need any intervention or assistance.
The team in Crumlin took numerous scans of Billy’s heart and confirmed the diagnosis that was suspected prenatally. Billy was monitored very closely over the coming day, diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta, otherwise known as a narrowing of the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the lower part of the body.
The newborn had two VSDs, which are holes in the wall separating the ventricles of the heart. Both of these holes miraculously closed prior to birth.
After a couple of days, the cardiologists stopped the drug Prostin to assess the narrowing of the aorta, and Billy proved to be doing very well.
A meeting took place on the Thursday morning to discuss
Billy’s potential surgery on the Friday, and it was the same day that Sharon was discharged from the Coombe.
Her arrival was greeted with much joy, as just before she arrived, Declan was told by the surgeons that little Billy may avoid surgery altogether.
Following the decision to take Billy off Prostin, the narrowing wasn’t as bad as initially feared, and daily heart scans and blood pressure monitoring in the lower limbs were carried out.
The Hannons were then told that Billy would not need surgery. The news was so unexpected that the newborn’s cot was not yet taken down from the attic. His parents, granny and grandaunt all almost collapsed when they got the news. He was discharged two days later. He is assessed every six months and it is hoped that he can be fully discharged by the time he turns two.
Sharon and Declan stayed in parent’s accommodation in the hospital, where there was a little welcome pack with a note that said ‘miracles happen every day at Crumlin’. They know now that this is true.
The Hannons said they are truly blessed, and thanked everyone who supported their fundraiser.
“We want to say a huge thank you to all supported our fundraiser September last in Cloonacool Village. We have presented the amazing €8,086.40 to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin and they couldn’t be happier. The difference this will make to help a sick child on their journey is so rewarding.
“To everyone that donated or helped in any way we cannot thank you enough, it was an amazing day with an overwhelming sense of community surrounded by the best family and friends we could ever asked for. Thank you all.”