AN Oldpark family are determined to give something back to a children’s charity following its support to their baby son.
Shane Gillespie, now aged 17 months, was born in December 2019 with a heart condition known as Double Inlet Left Ventricle (DILV).
The condition is a heart defect that is present from birth which affects the valves and chambers of the heart. Babies born with this condition have only one working pumping chamber in their heart.
Shane has already undergone two major heart operations in Birmingham since he was born.
Throughout his journey, parents Christina and Adrian and brother, Ronan (6) have been supported by the Children’s Heartbeat Trust charity.
Based at Twin Spires in West Belfast, the charity has been working since 1984 to provide practical, emotional and financial support to children and young people in the North living with heart conditions and their families.
Speaking to the North Belfast News, mum Christina said it has been a stressful and overwhelming journey for the family.
“I was told at three months pregnant that there was an issue with Shane’s heart. I was introduced to a heart specialist who was able to go through it properly with me.
“He had to have open heart surgery in Birmingham when he was just seven days old.
“We were there for over two weeks before we came home. Shane then spent time being monitored at the Clark Clinic in the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children before he was allowed home.
“In June last year, Shane went back to Birmingham to have two stents fitted to his heart in preparation for a second open heart surgery in August.
“August’s procedure had a few complications but Shane was eventually allowed home to rehabilitate back at the RVH once again.
“Shane is doing great now. He takes his medication and goes to his check-ups and appointments. He is due one more surgery before he is five-years-old.
“It has obviously been a very stressful and worrying time for all of us. It was very overwhelming at times because we had to learn about Shane’s condition ourselves from scratch. To be told your baby has a heart defect and having to go to Birmingham a few times was very nerve-wrecking.”
Christina was put in touch with the Children’s Heartbeat Trust charity from an early stage and says she cannot praise them enough for the support they have given the family.
The family now want to give something back in the form of raising vital funding for a charity who rely completely on donations.
BROTHERS: Shane with big brother, Ronan (6)
“We were introduced to the charity when Shane was in the RVH. They are so friendly and welcoming. They are just really caring people,” added Christina.
“They provided emotional as well as financial support for Shane going to Birmingham to get the operations as well as all about what he was having done to make it not as overwhelming for us as it seemed.
“The reassurance and calmness was what we needed as parents. They were always checking in with phone calls and messages to make sure the whole family was OK.
“The Children’s Heartbeat Trust charity is supported entirely through voluntary donations. They don’t receive any government funding at all and with the pandemic, their funds have been stretched to the maximum.
“Without their support, I don’t know how we could have coped. We wanted to do something to give back to them so came up with the idea of raising money. I have created some sponsorship forms and put their buckets in a few local shops and schools and we have the online fundraiser.
“They are such a fantastic charity. I can’t sing their praises enough. Even to be there for making a cup of tea or a hug was so important. They really put our mind at ease about Shane’s condition. It meant the world to us.”
A sponsored walk will also take place in July for the charity with a walk from the New Lodge up Cave Hill planned.
“On 18 July, we have 66 people at the moment walking from the New Lodge up Cave Hill and down again, who will all be wearing Children’s Heartbeat Trust t-shirts so it will be another day of fundraising efforts for the charity,” Christina continued.
“The charity have been there for us through the good and not so good times.
“They gave words of advice, encouragement and supported us in the darkest days and even a simple thing like giving mummy a hug and daddy a cup of tea.
“As a family, will always be grateful and now that we would like to give something back.
“Shane is a now a happy, boisterous and mischievous young boy with hopefully a bright future ahead of him.
Shane and dad, Adrian
“I hope people can please donate what they can to support this amazing charity.”
A total of £770 has been raised on Shane’s Virgin Money Giving Page at the time of writing with many more offline donations ongoing. You can donate online here.
For more information on the Children's Heartbeat Trust charity, visit their website.
