Parents of girl born with a serious heart defect raise awareness

The parents of a baby girl born with a serious heart defect are speaking about their experiences on national television to raise awareness for charity The Sick Children’s Trust.

Zara Ward, 21, and partner Nathan Fox, 25, from Middlesbrough feature in the BBC’s Lifeline appeal, airing on Sunday 21 January at 15.15 and presented by renowned actor and president of The Sick Children’s Trust Michael Crawford CBE. The Lifeline appeal will help raise awareness and vital funds for the charity’s ‘Home from Home’ accommodation, supporting families with seriously ill children in hospital across the UK.

At 20 weeks pregnant, Zara and Nathan were told that their baby had a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome in which the heart doesn’t develop properly. When their baby, Darcie-May, was born she was transferred the Royal Victoria Infirmary to Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne for specialist treatment.

For seven months, Darcie-May underwent lifesaving treatment and during this time Zara and Nathan were never more than a few minutes from their daughter’s side as they were supported with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust