THE proud mum of a little boy who had a life saving heart transplant is urging people to consider talking about donation on the second anniversary of the surgery.
Jake Cathcart from Moss Bank was born in 2015 with a rare and undiagnosed heart condition, leading him to suffer two cardiac arrests and a respiratory arrest.
Since then he has become an inspiration for Team 1C, led by his parents and other parents who have children with cardiac issues at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, who have raised thousands to send surgeons abroad to help other children with heart defects.
Jake attends St Peter and Paul Primary School and was doing very well, until he took a turn in November 2020 and was rushed into Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and later taken by helicopter to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
There his parents Claire and Neil were told Jake was put on the organ donor register for a new heart. After months waiting, resulting in him needing Berlin Heart surgery - the little fighter managed to get strong enough for surgery and in January 2021 underwent a heart transplant thanks to organ donation.
He went on to donate his healthy heart valves during the operation - himself saving a life.
Now his mum Claire is joining the call of other parents in a similar situation to urge parents to have a discussion about organ donation on the second anniversary of his operation.
Claire said: "The family of the child whose heart is beating in Jake's chest is always on my mind.
"Obviously Jake is still here because their child died, and I hate that, but I hope in some way knowing part of their child lives on and is giving Jake so much life like others his age will be some small comfort to them.
"I cannot imagine having to make that decision, but having Jake in hospital so often in his life we've come close to losing him a few times.
"I know its helped us knowing the valves from Jake's heart have gone on to save another life - and we are grateful for that every day.
"The guilt is there, but we feel the best thing we can do is look after that heart.
"We are so proud of Jake, but that child's and family's gesture of donation is never out of our minds, particularly as his two year anniversary just passed."
Jake, now seven, won the Pride of St Helens Child of Courage Award in 2022 for his bravery throughout his life.
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