Peterborough mum’s vow to make every moment count after being told daughter needs heart transplant

Georgia Kirchin, from Dogsthorpe, was rushed to hospital when she was just five days old while suffering breathing problems - and parents Jodie and Adam were told she might not make it through the night - with a team from Addenbrooke’s saying they could not take her to the Cambridge hospital as she might nit survive the journey.

She was taken to specialist children’s heart hospital Glenfield in Leicester, where she was diagnosed with critical aortic stenosis - meaning valves in her heart had narrowed, causing blood to struggle to get round her body.

She needed emergency operations - one of which caused the amputation of a foot, and spent six weeks in intensive care, fighting for her life.

Four years later Georgia is still fighting - but the family, which also includes Georgia’s big sister Millie (9), have now been told she will need a transplant in the next couple of years.

Jodie (32) said: “She is well enough to be at home at the moment which is good - but with her condition she could deteriorate very quickly.

“She could be stable like this for a few years, but we don’t know.
“It really has changed our outlook on life, and made us realise what is important. We want to make every moment count, and spend days making memories.

“With COVID that has been more difficult - we want to do things like take her to Disney. While some people can say they can do that in a few years, we might not be able to.

“With Christmas it made us really think about what was important. We didn’t want materialistic things - we just wanted to spend time with the girls, and a new heart for Georgia.”

Through lockdown Jodie and Adam have been able to stay at home and look after Georgia and her older sister Millie.

Jodie said: “Georgia still needs a lot of care, and a lot of medicine. She is still tube fed.

“We have been filling in school applications for September - it is something you should look forward to, but we are nervous.

“Georgia is to young to understand - when she goes to hospital she asks ‘why do you keep taking me, I’m not poorly.’ She thinks that to be ill you have to be vomiting, or be ill on the sofa. She doe not understand the reason she needs to go,

“But she is so cheeky, so feisty, bubbly and full of life.

“She gets tired very quickly, and can’t keep up with her big sister or her friends.

“When we go to soft play, while everyone else is running around, she will be on the bench, wanting to go home as she is tired. But she will give it a good go first.

“She also gets so, so cold in the winter, and it really upsets her.

“Millie absolutely adores her - she will do anything for her. She is a bit like a mother hen.
“She will even pick her up and carry her on the school run if she gets tired.”