Supporting Willow the heart hero and her family

Our beautiful granddaughter Willow Nellie Grace is currently living in hospital awaiting a heart transplant, we would like to try and raise some funds to help ease the financial pressure Elisha and Luke may face during this heartbreaking and difficult time, Our wonderful cousins Michelle and James Mason are taking part in the Barmy to Barcelona Wacky Rally in June and have chosen to raise awareness around Organ Donation and Willows heart journey whilst on their travels.

When Willow turned one in June 2024 she was a happy and healthy baby. However, by the following month she had been admitted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool with severe pneumonia, an enlarged heart and severe heart failure caused by a childhood viral infection.

During her fourth week at Alder Hey, Willow was airlifted by the air ambulance services to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Freeman hospital in Newcastle as it became apparent that her condition required more specialist care after being incubated for 2 & 1/2 half weeks and suffering cardiac arrests.

After 8 days at the Freeman Willow returned to Alder Hey because her condition stabilised but unfortunately this wasn’t the case and she deteriorated rapidly over the following few weeks and was now in a serious condition fighting for her life, Willow returned by air ambulance to the Freeman in September where she went through 8 hours of open heart surgery to have a ventricular assist device fitted (berlin heart) a mechanical device that carries out the normal day to day functions that her own heart is unable to do, since then she has spent nearly 7 months on PICU and a month on HDU where she will remain until a heart transplant becomes available.

As Willow has a Berlin Heart she is unable to leave the hospital until she has received the gift of life of a new heart and therefore she now lives full time at the Freeman with her Mum, Elisha. Willow’s Dad, Luke, works Monday to Friday and every weekend travels up to Newcastle from their family home in Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester, to visit Willow and support Elisha.

Myself, Andy and willows other grandparents Catherine and Ian, along with Elisha and Luke’s siblings visit as often as possible to support them through this difficult journey.

The average waiting time for a heart transplant is around two years and therefore Willow and Elisha are separated from Luke, Myself, Andy, Catherine and Ian and the rest of the family but are supported by an incredible medical team at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, whilst they wait for their miracle from a brave family whom in the most tragic of circumstances are able to make that gift of life for Willow.

We don’t know when Elisha and Luke will get that call that there is a suitable heart for willow and until then we as a family take each day as it comes and wait patiently for the gift that Willow so desperately needs❤️

We as a family are ever so grateful for all the love and support you have shown us over these difficult months, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to keep our beautiful willow in your thoughts and prayers xx

You can follow Willow’s story in more detail via the Facebook page Willows-heart-journey, which Elisha has set up to enable family and friends to keep in touch and up to date with Willow’s journey.

Please, please have that conversation with your loved ones, choosing to be or to donate a family members organs can be a hard and emotional decision, especially in times of grief but one that is so incredibly rewarding and appreciated by all those on the transplant list and their families ❤️

organdonation.co.uk