Our beautiful daughter Jessica was born with half a working heart. She was our little miracle. We first found out about her heart condition at the 20 week scan. We were told at 22 weeks that her heart defect was so severe that she wouldn't be suitable for the life-saving surgery she needed after birth. In June 2011, at 28 weeks' gestation, Jessica had her first heart surgery in the womb - the surgery that gave her a chance to live. At 8 hours old, she had her first open heart surgery - the first of several heart surgeries which "replumbed" her heart to try to make it work as well as possible. Her final surgery was in December 2017 and she seemed to recover well from this, returning to school after the February half-term.

Jessica was unwell on and off for the last few weeks of her life with what seemed to be a viral chest infection but was being treated for this and we were hopeful that she would get better. Her sudden death on 14th April 2018 came as a huge shock to us and, as yet, we do not know what caused it. We still find it hard to believe that our little girl who was so full of joy, so full of life is no longer here with us. Our hearts are completely and utterly broken. We are thankful for the six and a half years that we had with her but we will always wish that we could have had her with us for longer.

We would like to raise money for Little Hearts Matter in Jessica's memory. Little Hearts Matter is a charity that helps provide information and support to children who are born with half a working heart and their families. They have been a fantastic source of support throughout Jessica's life and continue to provide support for us as a bereaved family.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.