Peterborough family raise £3,000 for charity after child’s life saved by open heart surgery

Maivesh and Azher Rafiq with their son Musa, three, taking part in a fundraising day at the Shining Stars Pre-School, with director Mohammed Ashraf, business manager Lora Pizzo and manager Nuzhat Lilani.

The parents of a boy, who had life-saving open-heart surgery when he was just days old, have raised over £3,000 for the charity who supported them throughout their journey.

Musa Rafiq, 3, from Millfield, was born with a complicated heart condition and was rushed into intensive care at 16 days old.

It meant doctors at Glenfield Hospital, in Leicester, had to perform emergency open heart surgery on him to help rebuild his heart.

On Monday (28 March) Musa’s parents, Azher, 37, and Maivesh Rafiq, 33, launched a fundraising mission to raise over £3,000 for Heart Link.

The family used their catering business, Rafiq Catering, to cook and sell 360 meals at Shining Stars Pre-School, where Musa attends.

“This was our way to give something back,” Musa's mum Maivesh Rafiq said.

“The charity has helped us on this journey by allowing us to stay close to Musa for the weeks and months he spent in hospital.

“We were always given a family room 30 seconds away from him - we were never turned away."

Musa now suffers from DiGeorge Syndrome and has had three more open heart operations.

DiGeorge Syndrome causes a range of lifelong problems, including heart defects and learning difficulties.

The family now want to raise awareness of the continued work of charities like Heart Link to support families who are on the same journey as the one they went through.

“We were able to include Musa in the family so he didn’t feel left out while he was in hospital - which meant the world to us," Mrs Rafiq added.

“We’re in a good position now where we’ve got our child home and safe with us. Now, there are other people out there who need this support.

“We’ve been there and been through this journey. The support we’ve been given has proved we’re not alone on this journey.

“It’s not about the money we have raised - but how we raised it. We raised it as a community. We want to raise awareness that these children can have a life and it’s not something for families to be afraid of because there is so much help out there.”

Nuzhat Lilani, Shining Stars Pre-School manager, added: "It was an absolute pleasure being part of this amazing fundraising event.

"We are so proud of Musa’s progress and that his learning journey began here at Shining Stars.’’