Wrexham mum raises funds for Healing Little Hearts as thanks to doctor

Georgia Struthers, mum of five-month-old Lincoln, has set up a fundraising page as a thank you to the person who helped save her son's life.

Doctors found abnormalities with Lincoln's heart at his 20 week scan, yet the official diagnosis was not possible until he was born.

He has issues with dextrocardia, ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis.

He underwent surgery at 13-days-old for a shunt to help improve blood flow to his lungs, which would help until he was strong enough to have his full repair at 12-months-old.

But at the start of 2022, Georgia and her partner Kallum were told that due to Lincoln's growth, the initial shunt was too small and that emergency surgery was needed as there was a high risk of collapse.

Dr Ramana Dhannapuneni conducted full repair surgery on Lincoln, seven months earlier than planned, at Alder Hey Hospital.

Lincoln, with Dr Ramana Dhannapuneni.

Lincoln, who is now on the mend, will need another operation in five to 10 years but that will be minor compared to what he has already been through.

Georgia says she will forever be in debt to Dr Dhannapuneni for saving her 'little miracle'.

She said: "Not only did Ramana save our baby boys life, but he believed in him to go for his full repair. He brought him back to his mummy and daddy safe as the baby that we handed over to him, despite unimaginable risks that both we and he had to take to perform this surgery.

"We will forever be in debt for his skills, expertise, professionalism and above all, his heart of gold. We as a family are so grateful to have met this man, because he had touched our lives forever- regardless of the circumstances that we met him under."

The charity they're raising money for is Healing Little Hearts, who send medical teams to perform life saving heart operations on children in the developing parts of the world, with Dr Dhannapuneni a big part of that.

The money raised will fund a camp in Lincoln's name in one of the developing countries, that will allow doctors to travel to the camp and perform free surgery on children in need.

Georgia added: "This charity, is very much a reflection of the amazing man that Ram is and the work that he does.

"Children in the exact same position as Lincoln, who’s parents would simply not be able to fund this care resulting in them not having a chance to live. Every child deserves the chance to live, and Lincoln’s heart surgeon Ram, makes this possible with the help of charity."

Lincoln's story and Georgia's fundraising page can be found here: https://bit.ly/3rvLsLo