Oliver’s Story
Will you donate to show your support to little elves like Oliver this Christmas?
Oliver and his family are taking part in the #LittleElvesMatter Christmas Fundraising Appeal.
Oliver is celebrating his 2nd birthday this December. During his mother’s pregnancy, this little elf’s family learned that he had half a working heart – medically known as a double outlet right ventricle. The news initially meant his family felt destroyed by the condition’s outcomes until they turned to Little Hearts Matter who helped to lessen their fears.
His mother, Amelia, shares their story…
“I had never heard of congenital heart disease or having half a working heart so I felt so shocked when finding out about Oliver’s diagnosis. I thought that the 20 week scan was to find out the gender. We felt destroyed as the outcomes of the condition were very bleak. I felt very alone as friends and celebrities were all having babies and I felt that I had no one to talk to. That’s when I was introduced to Little Hearts Matter by Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
Having a baby with a heart condition can be so very isolating and I can feel very alone when understanding Oliver’s medical needs and what they mean for him and his future. Born in December 2020, Oliver is peg fed and eats a very small amount of food orally. At the moment, he has oxygen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which we are hopeful will be reviewed in the New Year. Oliver is hit by illness extremely hard and has been in hospital with Covid in the last few weeks.
LHM provides someone to turn to who understands and can explain all of the medical words, especially when we need to understand how Oliver’s heart has an impact on his other organs – something that we hadn’t been aware of before starting on this journey.
I love how the charity brings families together to connect and I know if I’m going through a bad day I can turn to the LHM family and always find someone to talk to. It’s so important.
That’s why we’re taking part in this year’s Christmas appeal to help raise awareness and funds for the charity that’s helped me on my toughest days as a new parent. Our little elf is not yet walking but we do have an Olympic bum shuffler on our hands this Christmas.
Will you help ensure that LHM continues to support families like mine in 2023?
Getting involved is easy, simply dress your little one as a little elf like we have, in whatever way you can, and try to raise £10 this Christmas, or more if you can!