A local family has shared their story of showing heroic courage in the face of enormous odds
Eight Aussie babies are diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease every day. Here’s how you can be their super hero.
Townsville
Don't miss out on the headlines from Townsville. Followed categories will be added to My News.
“Your child has multiple heart defects and might not be compatible with life.”
These are the words that no parent ever wants to hear, but for first-time parents Marcelle and Liam Ferguson this was what they had to try and reconcile.
Excited to learn of their baby’s gender at a 20-week scan, the Townsville couple had no idea their excitement of having a boy would be replaced with fear when an abnormality was found in his heart.
They later found out the congenital heart disease was a double outlet right ventricle with subaortic ventricular septal defect, severe subaortic and arctic valve stenosis, hypoplastic aortic arch and aortic coarctation.
MORE NEWS>>>
• Making memories: 20 NQ holiday adventures
• Little Pegs owner to open new coffee shop in CBD florist
• Year four student Jake Size raises $1100 to cut his hair after four years
“You’re not expecting it, it was a huge shock because he was our first child,” Mrs Ferguson said.
“The doctor told us ‘our child had multiple heart defects and that they weren’t sure if our child would be compatible with life’.
“The drive home was very surreal.”
Despite travelling to Brisbane many times for specialist appointments during her pregnancy, Mrs Ferguson was determined to maintain some normality by celebrating and bonding with Archer, who they’d already named by this point.
With Archer now a healthy 7 years old, Mrs Ferguson said the ordeal felt like a lifetime ago and acknowledged how lucky they were given the seriousness of his health condition. Expecting to be in hospital in Brisbane for six weeks with Archer, they knew things were serious when it became six months.
Congenital Heart Disease is the leading cause of death and hospitalisation in infants with eight babies born every day with CHD and four not surviving every week. It's a condition with no known cure. HeartKids was beside them in hospital and at every appointment since, a charity dedicated to supporting children, teens and adults affected by congenital heart disease.
Mrs Ferguson said as new parents it provided them comfort and now for Archer, they provide him with friends and lifetime support. Tomorrow Archer, his younger brother Hugo, mum, dad and all their family will morph into their favourite superhero for HeartKids SuperBossDay to raise money for life saving research and support.
To join the superhero team, visit superbossday.org.au and register.
Originally published as A local family has shared their story of showing heroic courage in the face of enormous odds