AN ANNAN mum has warned parents of newborns to be aware of symptoms after her little daughter was diagnosed with a serious heart defect.
Charlotte Lake and her fiancé Nathanael Guide welcomed Ava-Rose on June 25.
But ever since her birth they had noticed the tot’s breathing was like snoring and she sounded bunged up.
After a routine check, a midwife found Ava’s breathing was double the rate it should be and her heart rate was also high.
After tests, hospital staff discovered Ava had a heart murmur so she was sent to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. There, she was diagnosed with a heart defect that would require open heart surgery.
As well as a hole in her heart, it was also discovered that Ava’s aorta was connecting to the wrong place so it couldn’t pump the blood around her body properly.
Charlotte said: “Little did we know Ava had a big fight ahead.
“When I first heard about defects like CHDs (congenital heart defects) I thought no it would never be us. You never want to imagine your child being sick or in pain in any way, especially as a tiny defenceless newborn.
“I spoke to the midwife who checked her heart rate and reps per minute both of which were high so she called the hospital and they said they wanted us up straight away. They sent an ambulance down and they turned on the blue lights and sirens and rushed us into the hospital.
“When we got there Ava’s heart rate was 230 beats per minute on the monitor at points but was normally sitting above what they would like for a baby her age and her breathes per minute were double what they should have been.
“X-rays came back showing white shadows on the lungs so they started her on IV antibiotics as they first suspected a chest infection/pneumonia.
“She must have had four to five IVs at least during this hospital stay and it took 12 attempts at one point to get one in. During a normal examination the doctor looked at me and went I think she has a heart murmur.”
Ava had to put on a feeding tube to help her gain weight before the surgery. Thankfully, the operation last month was a success.
Now Charlotte and Nathanael – with help from their son Finlay – are aiming to raise money for Ronald McDonald House in Glasgow and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity who helped Ava and them.
Nathanael is shaving his beard off for the first time in over five years.
To donate visit: www.gofundme.com/f/Ava-RoseHeartSurgeryFundraiser24thNov
