A team of workmates is taking on a 100-mile fundraising challenge this month inspired by Griffithstown youngster Theo, who underwent major heart surgery when he was just four months old.
Theo’s mum, Shannon Smith, 32, says the group is walking “in honour of our son, Theo, and every other heart warrior” to raise vital funds for baby heart charity Tiny Tickers.
The challenge forms part of the charity’s annual 100 Challenge, which raises money to help babies born with serious heart conditions. The charity works to improve the early detection of congenital heart defects during pregnancy scans and provides support for families facing a diagnosis.
Shannon and her husband, Alex, learned their unborn son had heart defects during their 20-week pregnancy scan. They were urgently referred to specialists in Cardiff and later to Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital, where Theo was diagnosed at 32 weeks with pulmonary atresia and a large ventricular septal defect (VSD), commonly known as a hole in the heart.
‘Early diagnosis’
Shannon said: “Thanks to the early diagnosis, a birth plan was made, and we had a controlled birth at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol. Theo was taken straight to NICU to start life-saving medication to keep his fetal duct open so blood could reach his lungs.”
At just 16 days old, Theo underwent his first heart procedure, during which surgeons inserted a stent to help blood reach his lungs. The procedure allowed him to return home and grow stronger ahead of more complex surgery.
Then, on 3 September, aged just four months, Theo underwent a nine-hour open-heart operation. Surgeons reconstructed his pulmonary arteries, inserted a conduit to replace his missing valve and repaired the hole between the ventricles of his heart.
Shannon believes the early diagnosis played a crucial role in her son’s survival.
“I strongly believe that without this early diagnosis, Theo’s outcome would have been completely different. It meant consultants and surgeons could plan ahead and learn his anatomy before surgery, and we had time to get him strong enough to cope with such a complex operation.”
Around one in every 100 babies is born with a serious heart condition. Not all congenital heart defects are immediately obvious at birth, making early detection during pregnancy particularly important.
Congenital heart disease
Reflecting on the diagnosis, Shannon said: “I don’t think any parent expects to hear the words ‘your baby has severe congenital heart disease (CHD)’. We felt completely isolated as we had never known anyone to go through this. We are both perfectly healthy with no family history of CHD.”
During that difficult period, Shannon found support through Tiny Tickers’ online parents’ forum.
“We could talk to different parents and hear about positive outcomes at a time when we felt hopeless,” she said.
To give something back, Shannon’s colleagues from Gateway 2 Conveyancing in Cardiff have joined forces with colleagues from One 2 One Estate Agents and One 2 One Mortgage Solutions to form Team Theo.
The group has already raised almost £3,000 and plans to complete its 100-mile total through walks during lunch breaks, after work and at weekends, finishing with a trek up Pen y Fan.
Shannon said: “The work Tiny Tickers does to raise awareness of congenital heart defects and train sonographers to detect heart defects at pregnancy scans is nothing short of amazing. Congenital heart disease does not discriminate – it can happen to anyone, anywhere. Early diagnosis quite literally saved Theo’s life, and we will be forever grateful.”
Sponsor Team Theo
People can support Team Theo via its JustGiving page.