ChronicleLive - Chronicle People

Oh no, they've remembered!

2009-11-04T10:31:12Z

And there I was thinking we might just have got away with it.

As October clicked into November, we reached the month in which Charlie's big operation was due to be done.

We hadn't heard from the hospital for a few weeks as we waited to find out the date.

Perhaps they'll forget, I thought.

But then came the phone call. Charlie's surgery had been scheduled for this coming Monday.

Good and bad news all wrapped up in the same sentence.

The good outweighs the bad, though, and this operation will hopefully set my son up for a long and healthy life.

Nevertheless, Monday will be a monumental stomach-twister.

This will be Charlie's fifth heart op, but his first open heart procedure.

There are so many aspects of the day that I'm not looking forward to.

Like the journey across to the operating theatre before surgery begins.

I've made this trip with Charlie a couple of times, and it's a walk which gets tougher with every step.

The first time I had to hand him over at the theatre doors to someone dressed in green theatre scrubs wearing a surgical mask.

For his last operation three years ago I was a little more involved. Charlie was drowsy and giggly after being given a pre-op sedative.

The anaesthetist asked me to hold my boy on my lap while he placed a mask over his face and turned up the gas.

Then, once Charlie had gone still, came the worst bit - getting up and walking out of there.

I'm not exactly relishing the hours that agonisingly drag out while surgery takes place either.

All you want is that call to tell you it's over, he's out, it went well.

But enough about me. Monday is about Charlie and the positive impact this will have on his childhood and all the years beyond.

Knowing Charlie, he'll take it firmly in his stride. They are steely souls, these youngsters.

Once more into battle young man . . .

My heart goes out to you Andrea

2009-10-31T22:22:13Z

The agony of a mother who has lost her little girl has been plain for all to see these past few days.

Andrea Hall's 17-year-old daughter Ashleigh left home in Darlington last Sunday evening, never to return.

The following night Andrea was given the dreadful news that Ashleigh's body had been found.

I met Andrea a few years ago when another of her daughters, Ellie, was being treated in the Freeman Hospital at the same time as my son Charlie.

Ellie and Charlie had undergone heart surgery, and their beds were next to each other in the Children's Heart Unit.

We had the obvious connection of being parents in the same situation, but we also came from the same town.

She lived not far from the street where I grew up.

I remember thinking how tough it must have been for Andrea juggling her commitments at home and travelling back and forth to the Freeman.

She struck me as a devoted mum who lived for her girls.

For tragedy to strike so terribly is cruel beyond belief.

Why the head must rule the heart

2009-10-26T22:56:31Z

Incredible though it may seem, the Children's Heart Unit at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital is effectively under threat of closure.

This despite a long and proud record of excellence in the field of paediatric cardiology.

And despite being one of only two places in the country where heart transplants are carried out on children.

If the seemingly impossible does happen, the backlash is inevitable.

But I won't be joining in.

The Department of Health is considering proposals to halve the number of UK hospitals performing heart surgery on children. This would mean some units closing or merging with others.

The thinking behind the plans - put forward by a review team comprising consultants and parents - is that bigger centres performing more operations would lead to a higher standard of surgery.

It's generally accepted that it's safer if a few hundred heart operations are done per year at a given hospital, rather than a few dozen. This is for the simple reason that the more operations a surgeon does, the better they become.

One report this week suggested the Children's Heart Unit at the Freeman could be in competition to stay open with its counterpart at Leeds Royal Infirmary.

When the recommendations are made next summer, no doubt people will protest about the extra travel involved if their child has to go under the knife in a city a few hours' drive from their home.

I wouldn't relish the prospect of travelling to Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow or wherever, but keeping somewhere open for the sole reason that it's on your doorstep is no reason at all.

The idea of fewer centres doing more operations seems sound to me, even though it would mean more upheaval for us parents.

If the best possible care for my child was the outcome, I'd go along with it.

Having said that, it will be a major shock if the Freeman is one of those centres earmarked for closure.

Its record stands up against any hospital in the country, with one groundbreaking success following another.

It set a world first by carrying out two children's heart transplants on the same day, and has also pioneered the use of artificial Berlin hearts. And those are just two examples off the top of my head.

The ideal outcome would be the Children's Heart Unit receiving some major investment, creating a larger facility better equipped to meet the ever-increasing demands upon it.

Children are referred to the Freeman from across the whole of the north of England and further afield.

And there's no doubt that the current set-up can become strained at the seams.

The paediatric intensive care unit could do with a few more beds (there are currently ten), while charities like the CHUF are relied on to provide vital equipment.

My son is due to have an operation at the Freeman soon, and we are fully prepared for it to be delayed at least once due to a lack of bed space - as was the case the last time he had surgery there.

The Freeman is already home to the impressive new Cancer Trials Research Centre, set up with funds raised by the late Sir Bobby Robson, and work has just started on the £30m Institute of Transplantation, due to open in 2011.

How fabulous it would be to see a shiny new Children's Heart Unit standing shoulder to shoulder with these world-class projects.

I feel that the team responsible for paediatric heart surgery at the hospital consistently punches above its weight. The North East should feel proud that these people work here.

But with some serious investment, who knows what could be achieved.

This restructuring provides an opportunity for the government to plough some much-needed funding into the treatment and investigation of congenital heart disease. It is the most common defect in newborns after all.

Wishful thinking? This time the heart gets the final say.

Amazing what they can do nowadays

2009-10-21T09:09:27Z

Heart surgery has come an awful long way in the past half-century, with the treatment of children in particular taking gigantic leaps forward.

It's the norm now for youngsters with major cardiac conditions to undergo life-saving, life-changing procedures.

New hearts are transplanted into tiny babies; wrongly-plumbed blood vessels are rerouted along their correct paths; faulty valves are repaired or replaced; holes are closed up . . . the list goes on.

With this kind of progress, it would be easy for people to become complacent.

I'm not talking about those whose life's work is repairing little hearts - they could never be accused of that.

Neither could the parents of those young warriors whose hearts and souls are laid bare on the operating table.

But maybe there's a perception that, because the vast majority of children come through these operations now, it's a business that's somehow becoming easy.

Mortality rates are low, and the public could be forgiven for being a little blase about something which is still very high-risk.

People reassure you with the phrase, "It's amazing what they can do nowadays".

It's a way of saying that the chances of anything going wrong are small.

But it could also mean, 'Look, don't worry, your kid will be OK because of all the machines and stuff they use now.'

I think it's easy to forget just how incredibly tough this work is.

Easy to forget that it's a discipline demanding absolute precision, with no margin for error whatsoever.

Like trying to stitch together soaking wet tissue paper, according to one book on the subject.

And these hearts aren't full-size either - when my son had surgery as a premature baby, his wasn't much bigger than a walnut.

No two hearts are ever the same, and every time a youngster goes into theatre and has their heart unscrambled and put back together, it's nothing short of a minor miracle.

Surgeons may have a reputation for arrogance, but when they say a child's heart operation has "gone well", they are being somewhat modest.

"I did an absolutely unbelievable job in there," would be more like it.

Five weeks and counting

2009-09-28T09:23:24Z

The name Charlie Fletcher has been added to the waiting list for surgery at the Freeman, with my lad due to go under the knife any time from the beginning of November.

We've got a few weeks to prepare ourselves for the big event . . . a little breathing space after the safe arrival of Charlie and George's baby sister last week. (Allow a proud dad to indulge - Annie, 8lbs, a little smasher).

Three years on from his last op, it's tough to imagine my four-year-old boy climbing aboard the heart surgery rollercoaster once again.

But take that step he must, and I'm sure the fighting spirit he possesses in abundance will see him through, as it has many times already in his short life.

The doors to the operating theatre will swing open to greet our son for a fith, and hopefully final, time.

The plan is to attempt a full repair of the structural defects he was born with, a procedure which will give him a fully-functioning heart for the first time.

Before the operation we'll also be taking our new arrival across to the Freeman to undergo an ECG, a test of her heart's electrical circuit.

Both Annie's brothers have Long QT Syndrome, a condition which, if left untreated, can send the rate at which the heart beats into a potentially fatal imbalance.

The vast majority of people with Long QT are completely unaware they have it - until something goes wrong.

The consequences can be devastating, and we've all heard or read about someone who lost their life due to an undiagnosed heart condition.

We've been told that it's unlikely Annie has Long QT, but she must be checked out nevertheless.

Once her ECG is out of the way, we'll be building up to Charlie's op.

Looks like a few sleepless nights lie ahead in more ways than one.

As long as it's healthy?

2009-08-19T22:04:09Z

My boys are due to meet their new baby brother or sister in a few weeks' time.

So what are you hoping for, people ask. Boy or girl? I don't mind, I tell them.

Yes, as long as it's healthy, comes the next line.

Well, not necessarily.

As long as it's healthy: a phrase I've repeated to friends and family in the past without really thinking.

It's the "as long as" bit that bothers me.

Makes it sound like a clean bill of health is a requirement that must be met. If not, you've got some kind of failure on your hands.

Yes, it would be fantastic if we could all welcome perfectly healthy babies into our families. It's what every parent hopes for.

But sometimes an "unhealthy" one comes along. And what happens then?

What if your baby has a heart condition? That's not too healthy.

Or one of many other possible defects that accompany newborn babies?

It's kind of an irreversible situation, so you have to get on with it.

And guess what? Your "unhealthy" baby might not be such a let-down after all.

As long as it's healthy? I prefer "as long as it's happy".

Toddle along for a good cause (if it stays dry)

2009-08-10T20:48:50Z

Newcastle's Freeman Hospital is rightfully considered one of the nation's leading lights when it comes to cardiac care for children.

Hundreds of heart operations are carried out here every year, on youngsters from across the north and beyond.

Its pioneering techniques regularly make the headlines. Add in a high success rate, and you have a formidable reputation.

But all that comes at a cost, of course. And that's where the CHUF comes in.
The Children's Heart Unit Fund was set up in 1979 to raise money to buy equipment for the Children's Heart Unit (ward 23) at the Freeman.

This can mean anything from the latest hi-tech equipment costing tens of thousands of pounds to a portable TV for patients.

Salaries for specialist nurses have come from CHUF funds, as have basketball hoops for the outdoor play area,

The CHUF has also raised over £1m for the Freeman's paediatric intensive care unit.

Whether it's a quid in a collection bucket or a hefty cheque from a local business, everything is gratefully received and wisely spent.

If you're free on Sunday, September 6 and like the idea of helping the CHUF raise some money, read on.

The annual CHUF Toddle, a sponsored event for children and their families, is being held at the Rising Sun Country Park in Benton, Newcastle.

The Toddle, which was due to take place last month but was called off due to torrential rain, is open to any child aged six and under. Entry is free and every youngster who takes part receives a medal and a goody bag.

All proceeds will go towards equipment and facilities for Ward 23 and the PICU.

Anyone who is interested in taking part can contact Lorraine Embleton at the CHUF office on (0191) 213 1365 or e-mail info@chuf.org.uk.

Newcastle calling...

2009-07-30T16:27:08Z

It's been a strange week this week as my working day has been split in two. I have still been on Real Radio in the mornings but have had to work in the evenings too. I am not moaning as it was my own choice to help out a radio station in Perth in Western Australia. I have a connection to that city as its where my brother and his family moved to 5 years ago.

He is now an Aussie citizen and loves the lifestyle down under - the same goes for his wife Claire and their two children Chloe and Callum. We have been to the see them twice and had a fantastic time. It's wonderful to see them but also so exciting to visit somewhere new.

One of Perth's radio stations is a talk channel called 6PR. Their morning show is like a mix of Radio 5 Live and Real Radio's Beck and Kelly. There's plenty of news in the show but also comment from the presenters. Their morning guys are called Millsy and Tony Mac and they don't hold back when it comes to giving their opinions.

With the large ex pat community from the UK in Perth they have a slot where a correspondent/journalist does a round-up of news from this country. This week it has been my turn in the absence of the ususal guy.

What I still find hard to grasp is the informal way the Aussies handle everything. When they call me to record the piece at about 9.30pm, it's 4.30am in Perth. However inspite of the hour the lads are chatty and friendly and keen to hear what's making the headlines and getting under the skin of the British public.

So far this week I have talked about the situation in Afghanistan, the new fears over sun beds and MPs expenses. But these boys like their daft stories too... so we had the news of the tourist attraction in Somerset that's paying £50,000 for a witch and the cheese company from the Wiltshire who failed to launch the first piece of cheddar into space.

Listening to the show on-line you become aware of the need to be clear and precise about what you're on about - Australian English is different in some ways to how we speak here. For instance, instead of saying that someone was "beaten up" the Aussies say that someone has been "bashed". Then there are "hoons" - I guess we'd call them joyriders. There are plenty of other examples and the lads have made sure I didn't make any mistakes through my ignorance of the local sayings/phrases.

My brother and his family have tuned in avidly every morning and have proudly told their friends and neighbours that I have been on the local radio. It's an odd feeling knowing that what I say will be broadcast thousands of miles away.

As for tonight... (it's Thursday evening as I write this) I am not sure as yet what will feature. But you can be sure there'll be something and eccentric to round off the report...it's the crazy stuff the Aussies love about us poms!

Our Walk for Peace attracted many civic leaders

2009-07-09T08:21:21Z

It was a year ago we declared Newcastle as the city for peace, first city to have been declared city for peace in Europe. In the last twelve months, a great deal of work has been undertaken.

A number of events were organised which drew a large number of people together. These events provided everyone with an opportunity of finding out more about the Newcastle City for Peace.

This new initiative is about working together towards greater understanding, respect and harmony among all people in the city.

The idea is also to focus our attention on excluded and disadvantaged people in the city. We have started to win the commitment of organizations and individuals to undertake practical action to build understanding and respect.

I would like to write about a very interesting event we organised on the 27th June 2009. That was the "Walk for Peace". It is the first time "Walk for Peace" was organised. A huge number of people gathered at the Hindu Temple on the West Road.

There were civic leaders, including the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Cllr John Shipley, the leader of the City Council, Bishop Martin, Councillor Nick Farbes, leader of Labour Group, members of city Council, Crispian Stretcham, Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Olivia Grant Deputy chancellor, Newcastle University Dr Richard Bolt, secretary of Northumbria University, leaders of all of the main faith communities, representatives of Voluntary organisations, senior citizens, young people and children.

After enjoying refreshments at the Hindu Temple, the President Michael Sehgal welcomed everyone and recited a prayer. Bishop Martin, too, welcomed everyone and blessed everyone through a prayer.

The people, in a very disciplined way, started the walk. It was a sight to be watched. People were happy, cheerful and in a good mood. They held each other's hands as they walked forward.

There were mothers pushing children in pushchairs. Everyone was eager to help one another. The eldest person was a Hindu lady, 85 years old. She walked with a stick in her hand. She completed the walk successfully.

We crossed the road opposite the Venerable Bead Church. At the entrance we were welcomed by Rev. Tim Ferguson and leaders of the church. After refreshments Rev. Tim recited a prayer and thanked everyone for participating in the symbolic walk.

We then continued on our journey to the Central Mosque Newcastle. Everyone was in good spirit. At the mosque we were welcomed by Mr. Taj Malik, the President of the Mosque. We were served with refreshments and then Mr. Malik addressed the gathering, explaining the need for tolerance and forgiveness. He said the Muslim Community was totally committed to working for peace and harmony.

We then continued on our journey to the Sikh Gurudwara (Sikh Temple). At the temple Mr. Jagtar Singh the president, welcomed us and escorted us into a big hall. He recited a prayer and briefly talked about the principles of Sikhism. He too, made a pledge on behalf of the Sikh Community to work for peace and harmony as they always have done.

Hari Shukla in his concluding remarks thanked everyone for taking part in this unique event. He said that we all reached our destination safely because we walked together and all the way we made sure that everyone was comfortable. Those needing help, received help. Those needing support, received support. It also brought home the point that if we walk together, we are sure to reach our destination without a hitch. It also demonstrated that in our group there were people who needed help but there were others who were in a position to help.

Through this event we all learned one thing that we need to walk together for the well-being of all the people in the city.

We met new people and made new friends. We will continue to walk together for the well-being of all people.

We were extremely grateful to Chief Inspector and his colleagues for helping us to arrive at our destination safely. Thus we demonstrated a strong partnership between the police and the public.

I would like to thank everyone for the support we have received. We hope we will get the same response in our future activities.

Auf wiedersehen petition

2009-07-02T13:14:04Z

MPs' expenses. Iraq inquiries. Checking on Susan Boyle. Yep, Gordon Brown has had a lot on his plate recently.

But one item that passed across the PM's desk didn't attract as much attention as those pressing matters, so let's redress the balance slightly.

Last month Mr Brown was presented with an online petition calling for every newborn baby to be given an echocardiogram - an ultrasound examination of the heart.

Around 4,600 babies are born each year in the UK with heart defects, but many are taken home apparently healthy . . . with a life-threatening condition nobody is aware of.

The sad fact is that some of these kids will die. As for the rest, their problems don't come to light until later, often as a result of them becoming extremely ill.

Had these babies been given an echo, it's probable that their conditions would have been detected far earlier, allowing for surgery to take place or a plan to be mapped out for them.

Instead, many end up rushed into hospital as emergencies. A real case of after the horse has bolted.

Some 840 people signed online - not an overwhelming figure, perhaps, but certainly not an insignificant one.

But Mr Brown rejected the petitioners' demands, pointing out that antenatal anomaly scans are used to examine the fetal heart.

This is true. But these scans are far from 100% reliable, as I know from personal experience.

My wife was scanned regularly when she was pregnant with our twin boys, and Charlie's heart condition didn't show up.

The Government response went on: "There is currently not enough evidence to show that the use of echocardiograms as a screening tool for all newborn babies is clinically or cost effective." (I think the word 'cost' stands out here).

"There is also a risk that echocardiograms may pick up some conditions that may never be a problem, causing unnecessary worry for patients."

Ah, so they're protecting parents from unnecessary worry. How kind.

Sounds like a touch of spin before hanging us out to dry.

What would be worse - the bombshell of suddenly finding out your child has a potentially fatal heart condition when you had no idea, or being told that there is something wrong with their heart, but that it's minor and likely to prove insignificant in the long run?

The PM's office also referred to a current study looking into the effectiveness of pulse oximetry testing as a means of detecting heart conditions.

It seems to be pushing this as a more reliable alternative to echocardiography.

Pulse oximeters are probes attached to a finger or toe which give a reading of oxygen saturation, or level of oxygen in the blood. If this figure was too low, it could indicate a problem.

The study's findings will certainly be of interest - when they are published in 2011. So, that'll be another two years then.

PS Cost of a top of the range portable echo machine: around 75 grand (or 46 floating duck islands). For a static machine, it's double that amount. Cost of a pulse oximeter: around £200.

HERE'S one parent's response to the Government's rejection of the petition. Thanks to Hazel Hunt of the CHD UK website for allowing us to use it.

Harley Jackson: Not impressed. They didn't pick up Fin's CHD in utero and we were refused a detailed fetal cardiac scan because, although there was CHD on both sides of the family, apparently it wasn't enough as it wasn't me or his dad.

Obviously the government finds it far more important to double-furnish luxury homes on top of ridiculously high wages than to check newborns for life-threatening conditions.

Who can blame them as they check that their ducks are swimming in a nice temperature in their moats. Bet they have such sweet dreams at night too.

The magic of Michael

2009-06-28T20:35:02Z

It's all been said about Michael Jackson over the past 3 days since his death....his sad childhood, the pressure of being a child star etc etc.

This evening, as predicted, he is number one in the singles charts with "Man in the Mirror" and his albums have taken almost every spot in the Top 10.

The events of the past few days seem a long while since my cousin Andrew played me "Blame it on the boogie" by The Jacksons. When I first heard this song I was 8 and he was 13. Being older than me I always reckoned he was cool and knew a good song when he heard it. A few days later I saw the Jacksons on Top of the Pops performing the same song.

Since then I have always loved that song. It's such a great tune, with a happy, vibrant feel. But this first encounter with Michael Jackson and his music was nothing compared to the anticipation of Thriller. I had "Off the Wall" on tape and it was a favourite. However nothing could have prepared us for the hype leading up to Jacko's new album.

It's easy to forget that in 1983 when Thriller was released there was less tv and radio about - no 24 hour news channels and no MTV. Yet this album was said to be a work of genius, a masterpiece and as a 13 year old kid who loved music me and my mates were really excited about hearing it.

The release date came and one of my friends got a copy of the album - the rest of us had to make do with a copy on a tape! The hype was true. The album was brilliant.
The title track Thriller was a revelation - what a stroke of genius getting Vincent Price to speak creepily over the end of the song! Needless to say it was played over and over again. My favourite song? Human Nature. So smooth, a captivating melody, Jackson's passionate and soulful voice...not to mention the fantastic production.

I was taken back to the moment of when I first heard the song on Friday last. John, the boss at Real Radio decided we'd play some of Jackson's best songs during the day. Naturally I picked Human Nature to play out of the 10am news.It still sounds as great today as it did then.

Whatever the controversy over the years, he was a brillaint entertainer who gave millions moments of joy with his music and stage performances. Nothing can take that away from him.

I am sure I haven't been on my own over the past few days in remembering being a teenager when I have heard his songs from Thriller. Great memories with a wonderful soundtrack.

Michael Jackson RIP

2009-06-26T10:02:48Z

I remember hearing the Thriller album as a teenager and was blown away by the quality of the songs and Jackson's unique voice.

I can't believe he has died so suddenly, particularly with the tour that was planned for later this year.

Whatever the controversy surrounding him, he was a genius who made great music that people still buy and want to hear on the radio today.

It's goodnight from them? Let's hope not

2009-06-25T15:50:26Z

I was interested by the governments Digital Britain report which was trying to map out the future for local news on tv, broadband for all and radio.
The part that caught my eye was the proposal to fund ITV's local news out of the BBC licence fee. Many have asked why a major player like ITV need cash from the licence fee pot and I have heard many voices against this idea.

However I beg to differ...and I'll explain why.

In the old days when there were only 4 channels, ITV was a profitable business which had plenty of cash. Over the years with the introduction of more and more competition, it is not the cash cow it once was. It's now reached the point where it says it can no longer pay around 80 million pounds a year for local news.

Do we do without it? Do we only have one local tv news provider?
That's what happens in France with just local news on one channel. However in a country which has a thriving media sector where news is an important part of competition between newspapers, radio and tv, I don't think people would accept that.

So the licence fee may be used to fund the local news on ITV - but the government will consult on this and so it's not a done deal as yet.
I hope it is accepted - we have seen too often in this country how dithering by governments and government agencies has allowed important institutions and jobs to be destroyed by indecision.

There is one other option though that no one seems to have thought of - more adverts in and around the local news. At present ITV's local news shows go on air at exactly 6pm and end at a second before 6.30pm. It's 30 minutes, solid local news. Yet if you travel to the States or Australia you'll find a local news show has a number of commercial breaks.

For example Channel 9 in Australia has around 3 ad breaks in their 6pm news show. This means there is only 23 minutes of news and 7 minutes of commercials. Would we accept that here? No, I hear you say.

But let me tell you then that almost all half hour shows on ITV run for....23 minutes or thereabouts. The rest of the half hour is made up of commercials. Why is news such a sacred cow? If the government says no to using the licence fee, then I hope someone has the sense to speak up for more ads. The commercials on Australia's Channel 9 news shows pay for the local news in the various regions. Surely local news with more ads is better than no local news on ITV at all?

Modelling was Fab

2009-06-15T11:19:17Z

the weekend just passed was MS Life 2009 at the sage....

I was asked to be a model again! i was so excited t do it again plus my sister Anna was asked too.. I asked Liam to do it with us and he agreed! Woohoo!!

we went to pick our clothes last Saturday and it wasn't as good as the modeling clothes down Manchester but i got a gorgeous dress which i'm going to by this weekend paid by my Granda and Auntie Sylivia! but getting onto the shoes! Oh God,one minute we could have the shoes and the next we couldn't. I took a big strop in the middle of House of fraser because i had found the perfect shoes for my dress and they eventually said i could have them to wear on the night and on Tuesday night we got a call saying that i couldn't have to shoes! hm i was determined not to d it anymre as they had totally spoiled it and i didnt feel like doing it anymore.
My mam n dad ad to go out and by both mine and anna's shoes! Thanks! x

Friday came, i new it was guna be a good day.we were meeting the Wood's family. Lucy the youngest daughter who is 5 has got MS too was being a modelling too. We made friends so quickly and she never left my side all day which was soo cute. I hope to be friends forever! Her mam n dad were nice too plus Lucy's older sister katie got on with my anna too.. Least everyone can share the experiences with eachother =] ...
Friday night came and god was it exciting.. I wasnt even nervous! Even Liam was nervous and hes done it before haha. My anna was going eee i duno what to do but we had just had a rehersal like 10 minutes before haha.. Walking down the catwalk was immense! i loved every minute of it honestly! my friends were there,my boyfriend,granda and his partner(auntie sylivia),mr gardener,my twin brother and my mam n dad in the audience! When it finished i ran from back stage to see everyone and everyone ran up to give me a cuddle lol.. Wayne had said to my mam while i was doing the cat walk "wow this my girlfriend" he was soo proud of me!! =] I Love Him sooo much!

We done the wheel n walk n the saturday.a mile around the quey it was fun...we made alot of money we ended up in the bar th before we finished hahaaha....

speak to you soon Patsy xx

If he starts mooing we'll know why

2009-06-06T22:33:43Z

We're counting down to the autumn now, when Charlie is due to have his next - and hopefully final - heart operation.

We've had our appointment with the surgeon, signed the consent form and now it's just a case of waiting.

Some time in October or November, Charlie will go into the Freeman Hospital to undergo open heart surgery, a full repair of the condition he was born with.

That's the plan, anyway, but we fully expect the operation to be postponed a couple of times at least.

Such is the volume of paediatric heart surgery carried out at the Freeman - several hundred operations are performed each year - that planned procedures such as Charlie's are often delayed as emergency cases take priority.

His last op in 2006 was put back several times - not easy once you've built yourself up for it to go ahead, but you've just got to be patient.

The signs are beginning to emerge now that Charlie is almost ready for another operation.

His nails and lips are noticeably bluer these days, and he gets short of breath more easily. But he's not slowing up too much just yet, and his ability to tire out his mum and dad is still very much intact.

This will be his fifth operation, and the biggest he's been through so far.

Mr Hasan, the surgeon, outlined the procedure at our meeting. An amazing guy, he made it sound so straightforward.

Charlie will be put on the heart-lung bypass machine - a first for him - to allow Mr Hasan access to the inside of his heart in order to carry out the necessary repairs.

There's a hole between Charlie's left and right ventricles to close up, and an artificial pulmonary valve to graft into place.

Charlie's heart formed without a pulmonary valve, which is the gateway through which blood flows into the lungs, where it takes in oxygen.

We'd been told that his new valve would come from "a donor".

A human donor, we assumed. Well, not quite. We've learnt that, in fact, a cow will be providing the raw material! From its jugular vein, to be precise.

We've told our son that he's going to have an operation and will have part of a cow inside his heart. He loves the idea.

He's quite a joker is our Charlie. And I get the feeling he's going to milk this one for all it's worth.