Local charities fund Canadian Fellowship to support children with congenital heart defects in Leeds

An exciting opportunity for an NHS staff member at Leeds Children’s Hospital to undertake a fellowship in Canada has been made possible because of you.

Leila Rittey is a Paediatric Cardiologist on the Congenital Heart Unit at Leeds Children’s Hospital; she provides support and care to young patients and their families before and after their surgery.

In the next 18 months, Leila will complete her training and hopes to become Consultant at Leeds.

In collaboration with Leeds Hospital’s Charity, your donations have helped to fund Leila’s International Fetal and Neonatal Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Alberta in Canada.

Leila is currently working at Great Ormond Street Hospital to develop her skills, and spoke about why she wanted to undertake the Fellowship in Canada:

“Once I decided that Fetal Cardiology was the specialty for me, I spent time talking to the current Fetal Cardiologists in Leeds about what I could do to develop my skills and learning in this field. They were both clear that in order to have the time truly dedicated to Fetal Cardiology and to see how other units work it was important to go somewhere other than Leeds.”

“I was told about an opportunity in Canada which was internationally renowned and got in touch with one of the doctors working there. I was able to talk to her and the program just sounded amazing. So, I am truly grateful that Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and Leeds Hospitals Charity have come forward to support me undertaking this incredible opportunity.”

Leila hopes that the Fellowship will help her give poorly children and their families the best possible experience in hospital. When she returns to Leeds in July 2023, Leila hopes to join the Fetal Cardiology Team, and start a clinic to see pregnant women earlier on in their pregnancy to detect heart disease in their baby sooner and provide reassurance to families going forward.

Heidi Watson, CEO of Children’s Heart Surgery Fund said:

“CHSF is committed to supporting the family and future of congenital heart disease patients in our region, and Leila’s training will bring essential new skills to the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit from her Fellowship in Canada.:

“Edmonton is an internationally-renowned centre which teaches enhanced technical skills in using data imaging to determine the best treatment plans for the youngest of patients with congenital heart disease, and optimum support for affected parents both before and after their child’s birth.”

“Thanks to donations from our supporters, CHSF has invested over £30,000 in this training so that future heart families and the youngest of patients will benefit for years to come.”

The team Leila will be working with have an 80% success rate of identifying congenital heart disease, and she hopes through her screening sonographer training, she can discover ways to improve the detection of heart disease in Leeds.

Leila added:

“I am very much looking forward to working with this team who are at the forefront of research in this area worldwide.”

“I’m excited to be participating in research to help push forward this very important specialty. Not only in the year that I am there but continuing a good working relationship with them in the long term to continue this essential work when I am back in Leeds.”

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