How one boy with a broken heart saved 10 children's lives

Three-year-old Jake Cathcart from Eccleston was born with a rare cardiac condition, suffering from a high, irregular heart rate, suffering two cardiac arrests and a respiratory arrest.

But this little fighter is now doing well thanks to the work of dedicated surgeons at both Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital and has been fitted with a pacemaker.

His story, and the work of the dedicated team of doctors who saved his life, inspired his mum Claire Cathcart to form Team 1C, a group made up of other parents of children who have undergone heart treatment on that ward in Alder Hey.

Jake inspired the group to come together

Since forming they have funded more than 12 Healing Little Heart camps abroad where children with cardiac conditions, but with no option for treatment, can be operated on and their lives saved.

They have done this through a series of fundraising efforts, and last week the 13th camp was held this time in Jake's name.

The Jake Cathcart Zebra Camp took place last week in Thanjavur in India where 10 children's lives were saved by amazing heart surgeons and staff from Alder Hey, Great Ormond Street and other hospitals across the UK.

The medical staff in India

Proud mum-of-two Claire, said: "It means the world to us to have a camp named after Jake.

"The money for this camp was raised by the family of Tristan Campbell, as part of Team 1c , as we named our first camp after him.

"They were so touched by this that they wanted to pay it forward and raise the money for a camp for Jake.

"Jake's surgeon (from Great Ormond Street) is a transplant surgeon, so doesn’t go on camps very often but he went too.

Bracelets sent over with medical staff in Jake's name which the Indian people saw as good luck for the surgeries

"The last thing his surgeon said to me was “now we have something more than hope for Jake” and now because of him , we’ve all been able to give “something more than hope" to another 10 families.

"Jake starts school this week and I can’t wait for his new teachers and class mates to hear all about Jake’s Zebra camp and the 10 little children he helped.

"One of the nurses said this to me, which is so lovely, 'one little zebra responsible for most of it in one way or another. As if changing all our lives for the better just wasn’t quite enough, now he takes on the world'"

All of the children operated on are now recovering well and some have returned to their homes.

Team 1C regularly raise funds to host more camps abroad to save children's lives. To date more than 100 lives have been saved by the group.

To donate to their fundraising go to bit.ly/healinglittleheartsT1C