Little fighters like Harikesh
When a child has been through so much trauma, as little Harikesh has, it can affect the whole family.
Cardiac illness puts a strain on everyone’s heart
Little Harikesh was admitted to Evelina London shortly after his birth, when a scan revealed an atrioventricular septal defect.
The stress this condition places on the heart can cause babies to develop signs of heart failure, such as rapid breathing, feeding problems, slow weight gain and low energy – and the only solution is heart surgery.
“Harikesh’s three-year-old brother never really absorbed what was happening.”
When Harikesh was brought out of surgery his parents didn’t recognise him. His tiny fragile body was swollen, and he was covered in tubes connecting him to monitoring equipment.
Trauma like this can have a lasting psychological effect – not just on a child, but their whole family.
You can help brotherly love blossom
Families like Harikesh’s often need specialist support to come to terms with a child’s illness. For example, Harikesh’s older brother was just three years old and staying with family when all this happened. He couldn’t take it all in.
You can help us be there to help children cope with how ill their siblings were – and in many cases, still are.
“We support children and families through difficult thoughts, emotions and experiences. With your help, we can provide essential guidance to even more families.”
Help us be there to help even more children like Harikesh