Girl, 2, who needed mechanical heart to be alive receives special Christmas gift

29 November 2023 , 17:34

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Little Beatrix Adamson-Archbold is now waiting for Christmas

A two-year-old girl is looking forward to an extra special family Christmas thanks to her new heart.

Beatrix Adamson-Archbold was rushed into hospital with suspected Covid. But doctors soon realised it was heart failure and diagnosed her with dilated cardiomyopathy. She went into cardiac arrest, then needed a mechanical Berlin heart to keep her alive for 14 months.

Last year, her parents Terry Archbold and Cheryl Adamson told the Mirror how they also lost their daughter Isabel in 2018 to an unrelated heart condition and donated her heart for research. They are urging parents to consider organ donation. Cheryl, 41, of Burnopfield, Co Durham, said: “Initially I did not want to. We eventually did agree to donate Isabel’s heart. And now I have seen how life changing this can be, I would agree without hesitation. It could help save a life.”

Terry and Cheryl with their children (ClareYouings/RainbowTrust/SWNS)

Little Beatrix, known as Bea, went into the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, in May 2022 and spent the next 15 months there. She endured emergency surgery to mitigate the risk of blood clots before her transplant in the summer.

Terry, 45, said: “There was a metre of pipe between Bea and the machine. Every time she was out of bed was a risk, she could have had a stroke.”

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The couple, both local authority workers, were given vital help by the charity Rainbow Trust, which provides support workers when a child is diagnosed with a terminal or life-threatening illness. Support worker Monica stayed with Bea in hospital when Terry had to leave. She would also collect Bea’s sister Eliza, 13, from school.

Monia supports the family (Drew Cox / SWNS)

Terry added: “I never wanted to leave Bea. To have the trust and faith in Monica was enormous. Without her, Bea would be screaming when we left the hospital. With Monica she would wave us off.” The family is backing the Rainbow Trust Christmas appeal as they “could not have coped” without its support.

Visit rainbowtrust.org.uk/christmas or call or call 01372 220083 and to donate visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

Jeremy Armstrong