Earlier this year, our world was turned upside down when our son, Noah, was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, specifically coarctation of the aorta with hyperplastic left arch and a ventricle septal defect. He had been a healthy, happy little boy since birth as, like many babies with CHD, his heart and lungs coped until they no longer could. He was rushed into emergency open heart surgery at just 3 weeks old, and we were told multiple times to prepare for the worst. Following a successful surgery, Noah‘s recovery including being put on a research programme focused on reducing sudden cardiac death in children who are most at risk.

During Noah's time in Birmingham Children's Hospital we experienced first hand the incredible work of the NHS, both medically and holistically. Every person we met wanted to help and support in any way possible; from the medical staff to the fellow PICU parents, to the staff at the Ronald McDonald house, every single one made a truly scary time that bit easier.

We are so very lucky that Noah is making such an amazing recovery, and we will be forever indebted to those who saved his life. Once the dust began to settle, we knew we had to do something to give back and support other families who find themselves in a similar situation to ours.

We are very pleased to launch Noah’s ARCH (Action to Repair Children’s Hearts), a charitable organisation focused on supporting children and families who are affected by congenital heart disease, and raising awareness of CHD in order to promote as many good outcomes for children as possible. Every penny raised will go towards helping children with CHD, from care packages to funding research into prolonging life, such as the research that Noah was a part of.

Congenital heart disease is the most common congenital anomaly, with 1 in every 125 babies being born with CHD. Sadly, however, 1 in 10 infant deaths are due to CHD. Early detection is vital, and so funding and research into early detection and treatment is needed to save as many children’s lives as possible.

Thank you for taking time to read our story, we are thankful for any and every donation ⛵️💙