At CHSF, we a so grateful witness countless inspiring stories of strength and resilience from children and their families as they navigate the challenges of congenital heart conditions.
Sonny is just one of those children…
Sonny’s dad, Adam, writes:
“Our son Sonny has tricuspid atresia.
“He is now 8 and had his Fontan procedure on 19th May of this year.
“Thankfully Sonny made a very good recovery and was able to leave hospital two weeks later. He has continued recovering well.
“On the 2nd September we went to Hutfest which is a running event. Sonny entered the children’s fun run and managed to complete the 1 mile distance!
“This was a huge milestone for Sonny. Prior to his surgery, he struggled to walk up the stairs in our house without getting out of breath.
“Me and my wife, Caroline, are forever grateful to all the staff on Ward L51, especially to Miss Carin Van Doorn who carried out the procedure.
“Finally thank you to Children’s Heart Surgery Fund who helped us massively with the accommodation during the early days of surgery, plus being there on the ward regularly with gifts and entertainment.
“We just wanted to say a big thank you!”
We’re sure you’ll join us in celebrating Sonny’s extraordinary milestone, made possible by our amazing Leeds Congenital Heart Unit and the generous contributions of our CHSF supporters.
Well done, Sonny. Always keep going for gold!
Abdul Mu’eed: Heart Month 2026
"I realised there is a whole community of heart warriors and incredibly strong parents who truly understand this journey. “There will be hard days. There will be moments of fear and exhaustion. But there will also be strength you never knew you had, love that carries...
Olympians living with CHD
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been hooked on the halfpipe and swooning over the skaters while watching the 2026 Winter Olympics. With this year’s games taking place in Milano Cortina, we wanted to take a moment to highlight Olympians past and present who were...
Vincent: Heart Month 2026
“Everyone was absolutely incredible supporting us through every hurdle - there certainly were a lot! “There is no way we would’ve gotten through it without the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund team."Mum Katie, from Bridlington, said: “When Vincent was 9 days old, we were...


