“Watching your baby be wheeled away into surgery is something no parent is ever prepared for,” Amy recalls. “We were terrified. But the amazing staff, from the nurses to his surgeon, Dr McGuiness, were so reassuring. They quite literally saved my son’s life.” The surgery was a success. Although recovery was tough, Angus surprised everyone with his resilience, managing smiles, giggles and a spark of his personality even in the toughest moments. Now two years old, the little boy who once struggled to breathe is a vibrant, cheeky whirlwind. He loves swimming, dancing to any kind of music, and playing outside. His current obsessions? French fancies, and a good bowl of tuna and sweetcorn pasta. But while Angus’s story is one of medical miracle and a child’s indomitable spirit, it’s also a story of the support systems that make surviving such a journey possible. One of those lifelines was The Children’s Heartbeat Trust. From the moment of Angus’s diagnosis, the charity stepped in with practical, emotional and financial support. “When we first arrived at the hospital with nothing prepared, they had a bag ready for us filled with toiletries, snacks, even fluffy socks,” Amy shares. “It seems like a small thing, but it meant the world.” Their parents’ accommodation, ‘Heartbeat House’, is located just above the Clarke Clinic. It gave Amy and her family somewhere to rest, wash clothes, and regroup, all without ever leaving their son’s side. Later, when they had to travel to Dublin, the charity helped organise travel and stay, easing the financial burden at a time when every ounce of energy was spent caring for Angus. There was also the little bear from the charity that travelled with Angus through every procedure, and sensory toys that brightened his days on the ward. “It’s not just the things they give you, it’s the people,” Amy adds. “Liz from the team became a huge support to us. She was always there with kind words and encouragement. It made all the difference.” Now, with Angus thriving and full of life, Amy is turning her gratitude into action, fundraising for the Children’s Heartbeat Trust to help support other heart families walking the same difficult path. “You never think it’s going to happen to your child,” she says. “But when it does, charities like this one make sure you’re not alone.” From a fragile newborn fighting to survive to a chatty toddler ruling the house, Angus’s journey is more than a story of survival; it’s a story of resilience, community, and love in its fiercest form. And for Amy and her family, the heartbeat of their story will always be Angus.
TWO YEARS AGO, Amy Woodhall welcomed her son Angus into the world, a moment filled with joy, hope, and all the dreams a new parent holds dear. But just 10 weeks later, those dreams were clouded by a diagnosis that would turn Amy’s world upside down: Angus had a ventricular septal defect (VSD), more commonly known as a hole in the heart. What followed were months of emotional highs and terrifying lows. Angus spent long stretches in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children’s Clarke Clinic undergoing scans, taking medication, and eventually being fitted with an NG feeding tube, as feeding drained what little energy he had. Doctors explained that for surgery to be possible, Angus needed to reach a minimum weight of 5kg, a significant challenge for a baby who tired quickly and struggled to eat. Yet Angus, with a quiet but unrelenting strength, fought on. And finally, at six months old and weighing just over the threshold at 5.3kg, he was taken to CHI Crumlin in Dublin for open heart surgery.
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