To celebrate  Íde's 1st birthday we want to give something back to the Childrens Heartbeat Trust. This amazing charity give us and many other families throughout Northern Ireland invaluable support during the most difficult times. Here's our story.............

At our 20 week scan it was detected that Íde had major abnormalities with her heart. We were referred to the Royal Victoria hospital and in February 2020 it was confirmed that she had complex congenital heart defects and we would not know the severity until she was born. Our world fell apart and with three other children at home we struggled to come to terms with what lay ahead. After many scans Íde arrived safely on 30th May 2020. Our perfect little princess was taken straight to NICU where she remained for 9 days before being transferred to Clarke Clinic for a further week. Little did we know this would become Íde's home for 4 of her first 5 months of life. She initially got home but at her first review a few weeks later she was re-admitted and after several attempts at getting her home we were told that she was too unwell and would remain in Clarke Clinic until she was strong enough for her surgery. This was devastating as our other children were already struggling  but with the help of our amazing family and friends we got through it. The staff in Clarke Clinic were not only Ide's carers but became friends and made our stay much easier. The Children's Heartbeat Trust not only support the families but also the staff here as well. They provide essential supplies and equipment into the ward that benefits the staff, patients and parents. Our time in hospital was made even more difficult with COVID as visiting was restricted to parents only. Our children couldn't see their baby sister and we relied on video calls for them to stay in touch. The emotional support we received from the staff at the CHT was incredible and they were always there for us even if it was just for a chat on a weekly basis. Paediatric heart operations are no longer done in Northern Ireland so any child requiring surgery has to travel.
They support each family financially during their hospital stay as well as cover expenses for travel. This is invaluable as long term hospital stays as well as travelling for surgery can be financially challenging for any family. 

Children’s Heartbeat Trust is a local charity supporting families of children with heart disease in Northern Ireland. We work closely with Clark Clinic at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children to ensure that children with heart disease and their families receive the best care, treatment and support possible. We are solely funded by the generosity of the public to maintain our services of support and are grateful for every donation received.For more info on our work please visit www.childrensheartbeattrust.org Thank You.