Thanks with all our heart

HAPPY family . . . Louise Frost with husband Garry and sons Ryan and baby Kian

Couple to raise money in praise of hospital

A GRATEFUL couple whose baby son had life-saving heart surgery at just seven weeks old, are saying thank-you by raising funds for a hospital home.

Little Kian Frost, was born on November 27 at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

However, a routine check in January showed his heart was enlarged and a scan at Manchester Children’s Hospital revealed Kian’s arteries were back to front and his heart was not pumping properly.

A small hole in his heart, which was allowing his blood to mix properly, was the only thing keeping him alive.

Kian was immediately transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool for surgery.

While waiting for his operation, Kian then got septicaemia and a chest infection.

His family had to wait another agonising week until he was well enough to undergo the arterial switch in February.

Mum Louise Frost (32), of Hebron Street, Heyside, said:

“That was an absolutely awful time for myself, my husband Garry and our son Ryan (5). We thought Kian was going to die.

“We lost our little girl Cerys in October, 2006, just 16 days after she was born 24-weeks premature, so we feared the worst.”

Thankfully, the life-saving operation was a success and against all expectations, Kian was out of intensive care within three days and home by February 8.

The little fighter is now happy and healthy but the family have never forgotten their stay at Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey.

The home-from-home, which is run on donations, allows parents of critically-ill children to stay for free at the hospital in the comfort of their own apartment.

Louise and Garry are now asking family and friends for donations to the unit on Kian’s Christening later this month at East Oldham Methodist Church, Ripponden Road.

Louise, a nurse at the Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “It is a fantastic facility.

“We didn’t appreciate at the time how necessary it is but looking back, they did an absolutely fantastic job of caring for us.

“We want to give something back and give other families the chance to stay there if they need to.”

To donate visit www.justgiving/kianjamesfrost.com