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: May 2025

Support for families: May 2025

"This month we have reflected on connections. We tend to focus on positive outcomes in terms of a successful surgery, a family going home after a long admission or the speedy recovery of a patient - but we sometimes forget those small wins and bonds formed through CHD...

Bonnie

Bonnie

Bonnie is two years old and was born with Atrial septal defect (ASD) and Ventricular septal defect (VSD) which were surgically repaired in Leeds at age 4 months. She has just celebrated her second heart day on 4th May! Mum Charleigh tells us about Bonnie's CHD journey...

Running for Ruben – Laurie’s 5th Great North Run

Running for Ruben – Laurie’s 5th Great North Run

Heart hero Ruben was born in 2019 with coarctation of the aorta. He had open heart surgery at just 3 days old, but mum Laurie Higgins says he is now a ‘happy and healthy’ 6 year old thanks to the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit team. Laurie tells us why she has chosen to...