For sick children like Lucy, your kind gift means everything.
Help give little hearts the support they need.
Short Story
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Lucy's Story
When Lucy was born on 26 July 2023, she was absolutely perfect.
But everything changed in a matter of hours.
The day our gorgeous baby Lucy was born was one of the happiest days in my life. But within hours, she began struggling to breathe. She had suffered a narrowing of the aorta, a major artery in her heart.
When the doctors asked my husband, Máirtín, and I if we wanted to call the chaplain, we began to realise just how sick our beautiful baby was.
Lucy was rushed to Crumlin, and by the time we arrived, she was already connected to all kinds of machines and monitors.
In Crumlin, we were met by Dr Adam James, who was so incredibly supportive. He explained everything to us and drew pictures so we could understand what was happening. As well as the narrowing of the artery, Lucy also had two small holes in her heart. They operated the next day.
They say that your heart is roughly the same size of your hand, and when I looked at Lucy’s tiny little fist, I couldn’t believe they were going to operate on something so small and fragile. So you wait. Unable to help, or do anything, or even fully believe what is happening. You just wait and you trust.
“Right now, another family is facing the same fear and uncertainty that we faced. Another parent is sitting beside a hospital bed, hoping for good news. Please support this appeal and help give other children the best possible chance in life.”
Lucy came back to us at eight o’clock that night. And on the Sunday evening, they told us we could lift her out of the bed and hold her.
We were so in love with her and crying out for the normality of just holding our own baby.
I cannot tell you how amazing the doctors and nurses were. Even the cleaners would come by every morning and say a big cheerful “Hello Lucy”. In the darkest days, those small moments of kindness meant everything to us.
That’s why your support is so important. It helps fund not only medical care, but family supports, play services and the little moments of comfort that help families cope during the hardest days of their lives.
Despite her first operation, Lucy’s breathing did not improve. She needed more surgery.
Lucy was three weeks old when she went for open heart surgery. She didn’t go down on a trolley, we carried her down in our arms, because in this situation everyone knows that the normal rules didn’t apply.
So we waited again. Until, hours later, Lucy’s surgeon walked into the room and we heard the wonderful words: “That job is done. Everything’s sorted. Full repair.”
Máirtín and I cried tears of joy. Tears of happiness and relief.
Your kind donation helps fund the technology, gentler treatments, and care that give children like Lucy the very best chance to overcome serious illness.
Lucy spent five days in ICU, then back to the ward, then home – one month exactly from the day she was born.
You wouldn’t recognise Lucy now. She’s nearly three and runs round the farm like she’d never been sick a day in her life. She loves being up on tractors, feeding the sheep, and jumping in puddles. And she’s the best big sister too.
Her baby brother Shay came along eight months ago, and Lucy took him under her wing from the very start.
That’s what your kindness can mean, that sick children like Lucy get the very best chance at life.
To help you understand our journey, we’ve put together Lucy’s scrapbook, filled with moments that changed our lives forever. I hope you’ll take a look.
With our kindest regards and all our gratitude,
Nathalie,
Lucy’s Mum
Sick children like Lucy can’t wait – make a life-changing gift today.