By Jon Arnold | CEO
With the festive season in full swing, I wanted to take a moment, on behalf of everyone at Tiny Tickers and, very personally, as a dad, to say the most heartfelt thank you for your generous support this year.
When my daughter Zoe was diagnosed at her 20-week scan, the words were simple but devastating: “I think your baby has a poorly heart.” That moment changed the course of our lives. Zoe was born just before Christmas, and while most families were preparing stockings and wrapping gifts, we were hanging tinsel on a plastic cot, placing a tiny Santa toy at her bedside, and trying our best to create a little bit of Christmas magic on a ward filled with machines, monitors and fear.
There are things you never forget: the cold walk home on Christmas Eve to an undecorated house; the half bottle of Prosecco sipped from plastic cups on the ward on Christmas morning; the choir singing softly between beeping monitors; the moment a nurse pulls you aside because something isn’t right; and the New Year’s Eve spent on a hospital floor, terrified of what the next year might bring.
We were lucky. Zoe had life-saving open-heart surgery in early January. Thanks to extraordinary NHS care, early detection, and the work of charities like Tiny Tickers, she is now a thriving, joyful teenager. But that first Christmas will always stay with me, and I know that right now, many parents are living their own version of that story.
Your support this year means that those families aren’t facing it alone. You have helped us train sonographers, equip health professionals with vital knowledge, and support parents at the most fragile moments of their lives. Because of your generosity, what once felt impossible is now becoming possible for so many more babies.
This Christmas I find myself reflecting less on what we’ve been through, and far more on what the future holds, not just for Zoe, but for every child we have the privilege to reach. Your contribution helps write stories of survival, growth and possibility.
Thank you for believing in our work, for standing with us, and for helping us reach more families who desperately need it. From everyone here at Tiny Tickers, and from me and Zoe, warmest wishes for a happy holiday and a hopeful New Year.
With gratitude,
Jon Arnold
Chief Executive, Tiny Tickers
Dad to Zoe, heart warrior, and reminder every day what your support means
By Kym Kitching | Head of Fundraising
By Kym Kitchin | Head of Fundraising
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
