Fundraising mums united by baby heart surgery traumas

Sam Pawley, of Asfordby, who gave birth to Zak in September 2019, and Melton resident, Navarna Ashton, who had Edison a year ago, supported each other as they endured a traumatic period in their lives.

They plan to walk a total of 100 miles in aid of Tiny Tickers, an organisation which aims to improve the early detection and care of babies with serious heart conditions.

Sam told the Melton Times: “We want to raise awareness more than anything because congenital heart diseases aren’t talked about enough.

“It’s a lot more common than childhood cancer and we feel that is spoken about more than heart defects.

“We also want to raise money for Tiny Tickers to provide the equipment that the hospitals need.

“They offer support to families and advice on things like if you want to travel abroad with your child with heart defects, travel insurance, just the little things as well as the support for the operations.”

A routine 20-week scan showed that Zak - Sam’s third child - had a form of congenital heart disease (CHD) and she says the rest of the pregnancy was ‘a whirlwind, filled with appointments with specialists, cardiologists and consultants’.

“My partner, Chris, and I have both got children from previous relationships and Zak was baby number four between us - my two other children were heart healthy and healthy in every way and my partner’s son was fine as well,” said Sam.

“So when we fell pregnant we expected to have another healthy baby.

“I can remember sitting in the room for the scan having the ultrasound done and because you’ve been there before you know how long these things take and I remember the lady was just looking at the screen over and over again and she said ‘I just need to call somebody else into the room’.

“They then said ‘we think there is a problem with your baby’s heart’.”

Sam had to be induced to give birth to Zak at Leicester Royal Infirmary and he was taken away almost immediately to be hooked up to medication in intensive care.

He had his first surgery at the city’s Glenfield Hospital at just a day old and a second operation three days later before being discharged at 12-days-old on five medications at home.

But Zak was taken back in as an emergency case in January 2020 and he stayed for six weeks with Sam by his side constantly.

His seven-hour open heart surgery was performed by a surgeon from London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital alongside another from Glenfield because his was a complex case.

Sam said: “It is possible he may need further operations but Zak is now walking, he’s starting to babble words, he’s doing really well.

“The staff at Glenfield are like people from another world - they work so hard.”

Sam’s friend, Navarna, had Edison as an IVF baby with her partner, Charlotte.

He had open heart surgery in a few days after being born last January and he had a second operation in June, during the first coronavirus lockdown.

Edison is likely to need another operation in the future.

The two mums are now firm friends and have already started their fundraising walking challenge, with their children with them in prams or carriers.

“We met in January when Navarna was in hospital as well with Edison, we got chatting and realised we lived near each other,” added Sam.

“Our friendship is important because people will say ‘we understand what you’ve been through’ but actually no they don’t, but Navarna really does.”

Go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/samantha-pawley90 to sponsor the mums - prizes will also be raffled soon to raise further money for the cause.