The parents of a newborn baby boy with a severe heart defect have issued an urgent plea for a heart donor, saying their son has only days to live. Sarah Cookson, 44, and Chris Cookson, 40, from South Shields, Tyneside, are desperately seeking a new heart for their son Carter, born on Boxing Day 2018.
Carter underwent major heart surgery shortly after birth at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital but did not respond to the operation. He has been attached to an ECMO machine to pump blood around his body, but doctors have warned the machine can only function for a maximum of six to eight weeks without complications. Each time the wires are changed, Carter faces risks of infection and clotting.
Doctors have now told the family that due to complications with the ECMO machine, they have only until Saturday to find a suitable donor heart. The couple launched the campaign #findaheartforCarter on social media to raise awareness. In a Facebook post, Sarah Cookson said: 'We desperately hope that our baby's courage and strength leads to our prayers being answered.'
The couple previously lost their first son, Charlie, in October 2013 at the age of two. Sarah Cookson, who runs a dance school, added: 'We take a deep breath and get through it for Carter. If he is fighting, we are fighting.' According to the British Heart Foundation, around 1,300 people die each year in the UK waiting for an organ transplant.
