Parents of a baby whose life was saved by a Banbury specialist are raising funds for the town's Horton General Hospital

When Lucca Beadle was just 12 days old his mum, Laura, was sure something was wrong. Within minutes of their arrival at the Horton General Hospital children’s ward, Lucca had collapsed and the family’s life was turned upside down. Lucca was immediately put on a ventilator and tested for Covid-19 and sepsis.

Dr Raj Anantharaman was in charge of Lucca’s care that day. When Mrs Beadle mentioned that there had been concerns during her pregnancy that Lucca had a minor heart issue, Dr Raj organised an X-ray and it became clear that Lucca was very ill indeed.

Mrs Beadle and her husband James, who live in Hook Norton, stood by helplessly while the paediatric team at the Horton that night worked quickly, professionally and skillfully to save their little boy.

"Lucca was moments from dying and was suffering from coarctation of the aorta - a congenital heart defect - which was diagnosed via an xray, It was simply terrifying. We were living every parent’s nightmare. We had no idea what was happening to our baby or if he would be ok," she said..

"The whole team communicated with us ensuring we knew what they were thinking, what the plan was and where to go from there. Lucca was transferred to Southampton after being stabilised by the ward," she said.

"We will be forever grateful to the team that night for their care, professionalism, knowledge and skill. ‘They’ve were amazing, nothing was ever too much trouble. They showed kindness, empathy and huge support for Lucca and also for us as a family. The nurses never left my side and they made sure we knew exactly what was going on. We are very lucky to still receive care from them to this day."

Lucca has now been diagnosed with a series of complex congenital heart conditions. Although it’s a long road ahead, the family is finally beginning to see some improvement in his health.

The couple want to raise funds for the ward in Lucca's name to express their gratitude for the lifesaving care their baby received.

"No words we can ever say will truly reflect how we feel, so money towards equipment in the ward is the very least we can do," said Mrs Beadle.

Mr and Mrs Beadle are holding a charity night with an auction, in aid of the Horton General Hospital Charity on Friday (August 20) at The Sun Inn, Hook Norton from 7.30pm to raise funds, Their auction will include donated items from local stars David Beckham and Jeremy Clarkson.

Readers can support the fundraising by donating to the couple's justgiving page - https://justgiving.com/fundraising/laura-beadle2021 Dr Raj Anantharaman said: "I am very humbled to hear such kind words from Lucca’s parents. I was, of course, only one part of the team who looked after Lucca that day and we are all so pleased to hear he is doing well. I cannot thank his parents enough for their kindness in organising the fundraising for the ward."