The parents of a toddler, Laurie, who survived a rare heart condition have paid tribute to the donor family whose decision to give the gift of life saved their son’s future.
According to the National Health Service (NHS) on Tuesday, Laurie was just nine days old when doctors discovered that his heart was failing.
The young lad whose name was withheld was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a rare illness that weakens the heart muscle, making it difficult to pump blood around the body.
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“At Great Ormond Street Hospital and Charity he was fitted with a Berlin Heart – a mechanical device that kept his blood pumping while he waited for a transplant, ” NHS noted through their Facebook page.
While he was waiting for a donor, the machine became his lifeline, supporting the toddler through months of uncertainty.
Immediately after Laurie’s first birthday, a matching donor heart was made available. In a delicate nine-hour operation, surgeons successfully performed the transplant, and the new heart began to beat immediately says the report.
Now almost three years old, Laurie is healthy and full of energy, enjoying life at home with his big brother Osian and baby brother Kit.
His father, Tom, said the family’s gratitude to the donor family is endless.
“We are eternally grateful to Laurie’s donor family and that they said yes to organ donation during an unimaginably difficult time. We think of them every day,” he said.
Also, the family also praised the team at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Charity for their exceptional care, which gave Laurie a second chance at life.
