My mum and I have been fostering babies for nearly four years now. Recently, we received a phone call asking us to look after a newborn baby girl with a slight heart condition which led to us being in and out of Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals numerous times over the last 18 months.

Not long after we picked her up from the hospital, we realised her slight heart condition was actually very serious. The staff at Royal Brompton were very understanding of our situation, and talked us through everything that was going to happen.

My foster sister had to have two open heart surgeries, a heart catheter and she still has another one to go next year when she’ll be about two and a half. Her first open heart surgery was when she was 10 weeks old and she was in hospital for 12 days.

Throughout that time, all the doctors, nurses and anyone who was involved in her care were truly amazing. For her second open heart surgery, she was 15 months old and the care she received again was amazing.

Obviously, when a baby needs to have their chest cut open it’s traumatising for everyone and you feel so helpless. The feeling is unimaginable. When they had to anaesthetise her, my mum and I sobbed our hearts out. They let us kiss her goodbye and a nurse was there to support us too. The doctors were always there to answer any questions we had and the nurses were incredible. I cannot thank everyone enough in both hospitals.

Everyone was incredible. They were very helpful and nothing was ever too much trouble and it felt like we were always a priority. We felt we were part of the whole Brompton family. Without the care, love and support of Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, she wouldn’t be alive now. 

My little foster sister has now been adopted into a very loving family and she deserves it. Even though we no longer need Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals anymore, the memories that we have there are the most important. We are a part of Brompton Family and the Charity will always have a special place in our hearts.

If you would like to donate to the Harefield Transplant Appeal to support our work in saving more patients' lives, you can donate here