Kids with Heart Disease

We recently took time out to remember our nephew Mosiah Crosbie who passed away a year ago from a congenital heart defect. In his first week of life he underwent 2 major surgeries. Unfortunately our little fighter passed away a few days after his second surgery due complications. In memory of Mosiah, we have been raising funds for the Kid’s heart units at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Click here for information on how to donate or scroll to the next post.

Mosiah’s surgeon, Dr Winlaw, has communicated that Westmead Kid’s heart units are desperately short of funding at the moment. Taking into account that heart disease is the biggest killer of Australian children, this is a worthy cause to support. Every donation, no matter how small can make a big difference.

Congenital heart defects in Kids, touches the lives of many. In addition to Mosiah, there are several people that we personally know who have also been affected. Here their stories:

Ava Crosbie (We can write plenty about her)

Four months after Mosiah passed away, we welcomed Ava Grace Crosbie into the world. In the minutes after she was born, the Doctors and Nurses became concerned because Ava carried some characteristics of Down Syndrome. She was also having some breathing difficulties. A few hours later her paediatrician confirmed the diagnosis of Down Syndrome. He also said that her respiratory problems were mostly likely the result of a congenital heart defect. Ava was transferred to the Grace Unit at the Westmead Children’s hospital. They were able to identify 3 holes in her heart and develop a management plan that allowed her to be moved out of an oxygen crib, remove her feeding tube and eventually come home. Ava continues to be seen by the specialists at the children’s hospital and will eventually need open heart surgery to close the holes in her heart.

(Ava, before and after Oxygen Crib)

Eliza Anderson
Last December, Sally and I Caught up with Lorelei and Hans Anderson. Growing up, I was close friends with Lorelei. Their daughter Eliza has recently undergone open heart surgery at the Westmead Children’s Hospital to close a hole in her heart. Thanks to the expertise of the Surgeons and staff at Westmead, the surgery was a success and Eliza was back at home within a few days. Thanks to recent advances in Kid’s heart surgery, holes in the heart can usually be corrected in a single operation. After which, a child usually regains full heart function, with no complications or requirement for further surgeries.

(Eliza after her Surgery)

Levi McCormack

As a teenager, Levi’s Mum Karina lived two doors from Glen and I. Her brother’s were a regular fixture at the Crosbie home… AKA neighbourhood basketball court. Karina married Ashley McCormack. Their eldest son Levi was born with Hyperplasic Left Heart Syndrome. This is the same heart condition that Mosiah had. Levi is doing well and just started school this year. He has had several successful surgeries over the years. Levi has received a lot of media attention which helps raise awareness of the challenges that these brave little kid’s face. You can follow this link to a recent 60 minutes story on Levi.

Click here to view video


Please scroll down to the next post for information on how you can help.