ONE group of parents are celebrating after saving the lives of 100 babies by fundraising for heart surgery camps abroad – with the latest being a 18-day-old baby in Palestine.

Team 1C is made up of parents of youngsters who have had treatment on that ward at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

The campaign was started by Claire Cathcart, from Eccleston, whose three-year-old son Jake was born with a high, irregular heart rate.

He suffered two cardiac arrests and a respiratory arrest.

Their fundraising has helped fund a surgeon to attend camps abroad – with the latest being one in Palestine where doctors saved the life of their 100th child - a two week baby girl.

 

The baby, who was transferred to the Healing Little Hearts camp in Palestine from the Gaza strip, has had a BT shunt fitted.

Dr Ramana Dhannapuneni, the surgeon involved, who inspired Team 1C after helping their children at Alder Hey, said: "You have just done your 100th operation. Two week old baby transferred from Gaza strip with grandmother been very sick with sepsis and highly resistant organism and was in ICU for a few days was operated. It went well.

"Well done Team 1C, you must be very proud of yourselves.

"Congratulations Claire and all the Team 1C parents. Proud to be part of your generosity and honoured to have done the 1st and 100th case for Team 1C."

An emotional Claire Cathcart, who is currently pregnant with her second child, added: "Less than a year ago, we as a team had a goal to raise £6,000 and hopefully help 12 to15 children to have the same chance at life our children have.

"We are so proud to have worked together to raise over £60,000 as a team and fund 100 operations on children who wouldn’t have survived otherwise.

 

"But the real heroes are Ram and the team of volunteers who give up their annual leave and travel to these countries working in incredibly difficult circumstances to help our cardiac cousins.

"We are particularly proud of this camp because it is predominantly Alder hey staff who have volunteered.

"We wish all the children a safe recovery and a happy healthy future .

"Thank you so much to everyone that has helped us raise the funds for these camps , we’d love to fund another 100 surgeries , so please keep supporting us."

This camp in Palestine is organised in memory of Thomas Garner, a baby boy who died from his heart condition, but whose family form part of Team 1C.

Team 1C won The Pride of St Helens Assured Life Charity Champion Award in November, voted for by our readers.