CHD Awareness

Jessica on her bed in the cardiac ward drawing a picture

CHD: Unwanted stories?

I used to post quite regularly during heart month to try and raise awareness of CHD. Sharing our story to try and bring hope to other families or to raise…

A boy wearing a MedicAlert bracelet

How Heartline can help provide MedicAlert medical ID jewellery for heart children

Disclaimer: Heartline and MedicAlert contacted me to raise awareness of this project. I have not received any compensation for sharing this post.   February is Heart Month. In the past,…

A smiley Jessica on a fairground ride

A little girl with a special heart

Yesterday, we said our final goodbyes to Jessica as we celebrated her life at church with family and friends, and then laid her to rest in her forever bed. It…

Jessica wearing a superhero mask with a superhero cape against a backdrop of buildings

Journey’s end

This is the post that I always feared I would one day have to write. It breaks my heart to be writing it now. Our beautiful Jessica passed away in…

A drawing of Jessica in hospital and a drawing of us at home as a family after the hospital stay

Re-adjusting to life at home after being in hospital

I remember the first time I set foot in my home after Jessica was born. We’d been in hospital for a month. How strange my house felt, how I looked…

Surgery - this week's word of the week

Friday Focus 28/12/17 – On the other side of the surgery

This morning finds us on the other side of Jessica’s heart surgery – feeling very relieved that it seems to have gone well and that Jessica’s first night post-op has…

Hubby and Jessica on the swings at Langley Park

Moments that make life magical: an afternoon at Langley Park

We should have been in hospital that afternoon, preparing for Jessica’s surgery the following day. Instead, we were enjoying spending time together as a family, and having fun at Langley…

A heart with the text "Heart to Heart" on one side and a picture of hands making a heart over a child's chest with the text "A linky for sharing posts about CHD"

Heart to Heart – November 2017

Heart to Heart linky was set up to help other heart families share their stories and experiences in order to help support each other as a community.  It opens on…

An illustration of Jessica having an ECG

Preparing my child for heart surgery

Yesterday we got the call that we’d been expecting and dreading. The date for Jessica’s next heart surgery. My world has shrunk to a few short weeks – a date…

A heart with the text "Heart to Heart" on one side and a picture of hands making a heart over a child's chest with the text "A linky for sharing posts about CHD"

Heart to Heart – October 2017

Heart to Heart linky was set up to help other heart families share their stories and experiences in order to help support each other as a community.  It opens on…