Help Support Scotland's Sick Children

 Yorkhill Children's Charity shares the story of how Keira was born with severe heart defects and was rushed straight to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. The traumatic events which would follow left Keira’s family preparing for the worst, however little Keira has defied the odds 

At her 22 week scan, mum Michaela was faced with the devastating news that her baby girl had severe heart defects which would require full open heart surgery when she was born.

This was the start of a worrying journey of scans every 2-4 weeks not knowing what the outcome would be of each appointment. At 38 weeks, baby Keira was delivered by elective C-section and within minutes was rushed to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Yorkhill with severe respiratory distress.

Keira’s heart and lungs had stopped, and her family were told to prepare for the worst. After a distressing 25 minutes spent trying CPR and massaging her heart, Doctors managed to revive Keira. They then performed an emergency septostomy procedure at less than 1 hour old which involved inserting a balloon catheter through her heart valves to keep them open until she would have full open heart surgery. 

At just 8 days old, Keira was put on a heart and lung bypass machine in order for her to have the required surgery. This in itself posed a massive risk to her if she was to find difficulty in coming off this machine post-surgery.
It was an agonising day for Keira’s family when she was taken for her open heart surgery which would last 10 hours but they were elated when they got the call to say that the surgery had been a success. Although Michaela couldn’t wait to be reunited with her baby, she recalls being in shock when they saw baby Keira’s chest wounds.
“Nothing had prepared us for what we had to see”

Michaela still hadn’t even held her newborn daughter, however she recalls the emotion of when she finally had the chance to do so
“I was a mess, tears rolling, the lot – it was such an emotional day”

Keira’s health was then faced with another threat as an MRI scan revealed patches on her brain which could result in brain damage, and also retained fluid on her heart and lungs which would require 14 weeks of medication.

Now 2 years old, Keira has been diagnosed with mild brain damage resulting in sensory issues as well as Laryngomalacia – a floppy windpipe, meaning that she has difficulty breathing however we are thrilled to say that Keira is a happy, wee girl enjoying nursery, walking and talking!

Yorkhill Children's Charity is thankful to Keira's family for sharing Keira's story, defying the odds.  We are proud to support all our young patients at the new Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow; helping to ensure that their care and experience is the very best it can be, they deserve nothing less.