Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Hi my name is Charlotte Hummel. I joined Echo in 2009 following the birth of my daughter Esme in 2008. Esme was diagnosed postnatally and had open heart surgery at 12 weeks for a Complete AVSD repair and a mitral cleft valve repair. This was a really tough time for all our family as Esme’s condition was not picked up until very late, so diagnosis and surgery happened within weeks.

I heard about Echo when Esme left hospital through a friend whose daughter was also treated at the Evelina Childrens Hospital London. Echo has become a big part of our lives and we really appreciate all the support, advice and especially new friends we have made. Echo also provides equipment to the evelina as well as providing space within the hospital for families to relax away from their child’s bedside. I can say that this was really valuable for us when you can spend weeks by a bed on a ward, the little things like a space to escape to for five minutes really does make a world of difference.   

Through Echo I am now a ward visitor at the Evelina once a month, and I am also area contact for South East Kent. I find these roles very rewarding and for parents to be able to talk to another parent directly can make a huge amount of difference.

We are unsure whether Esme will require more surgery in the future but what we do know is that we have the support of Echo behind us we will not on our own.

Please help by supporting Echo so that they can continue to support hundreds of families whose children will be treated at Guys & St Thomas’ Evelina Childrens Hospital every year, who will be experiencing some of the toughest situations that as parents you should never have to face.

 

Please help  by sponsoring me for the Virgin London Marathon  on 17^th April 2011 to help raise much needed funds for the fantastic work that Echo do for many heart parents/guardians and their children.

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So please dig deep and donate now.