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!
Support for families: September 2025
“You have been wonderful, please keep up the outstanding work” - heart mumDuring the month of September... 7 referrals received for targeted Family Support 7 families engaged with 6 young people and their families worked with and supported Financial support in...
Because of Carin: Share Your Story
Share your story This is a space for patients and families to share stories and messages with Ms Carin van Doorn OBE as she prepares to retire at the end of the year. If you or your child was treated by Carin, we’d love for you to leave messages, photos and videos...
Nelly
Nelly was born in February 2024 after a 'normal' pregnancy, but within hours her parents were facing unexpected news. Now, one year after her open heart surgery she is celebrating her first “heartiversary” - Nelly is thriving, and her family have raised over £11,000...