By Laura Glenn

Copyright derryjournal

Children’s Heartbeat Trust has provided integral support to Derry family, Patrice Murray, partner Caolan and their five children Caoirse, Clodagh, Claragh, Cadhla and Conan. Conan, who was born in January last year, had to travel to Dublin for heart surgery at just seven days old and again in October at 10 months old. The family have spent most of Conan’s first year in hospital with various times in ICU. Conan’s mum Patrice has spoken of the unrivalled care they have received from Children’s Heartbeat Trust, from providing a listening ear for the whole family, to offering all kinds of support, Patrice stated that the charity “have always been there no matter what”. Patrice continued, “It has been an emotional and extremely tough journey and certainly not what you expect for your child in their first year of life. Despite this, Conan has come through it all like a true heart warrior and Children’s Heartbeat Trust has allowed us stay close to Conan through it all. During our long hospital stays in Belfast, we were able to avail of the charity accommodation which was so helpful and removed so much of our extra stress and worry. “Conan will require two further open-heart surgeries at some stage in the future, but we are reassured that Children’s Heartbeat Trust will be there to support us every step of the way.” The charity which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year is the leading children’s charity focused on supporting children and young people with congenital heart disease and their families across Northern Ireland.  Their mission is to ensure that every child with heart disease is supported at every stage of their journey through high-quality, inclusive, clinical, practical, and emotional support.  Last year, Children’s Heartbeat Trust granted over £110,000 of financial support to 216 families who needed to travel outside of Northern Ireland for surgery or who had an extended stay in hospital, as well as provided emotional bedside support to over 300 children, and their families, while they were in hospital.  There are 109 ViVO and ViVO Essentials retailers nestled in the heart of communities across Northern Ireland, all independently owned locally. Staff from the stores have been engaging in a number of activities including an Abseil and ViVO’s Golf Day in June. World Heart Day on September 29 will see a huge push on fundraising and awareness thanks to the partnership, and the year will end with cheer and some Jolly Jumpers for Christmas.  Bronagh Luke from ViVO NI says this partnership is an opportunity for shoppers and the wider public to learn more about Children’s Heartbeat Trust thanks to their large network of stores throughout Northern Ireland.  “Children’s Heartbeat Trust is a local charity that resonates with our retailers, staff and shoppers. They have supported thousands of children with heart diseases and their families over the years, and unfortunately, each year another 200 children are diagnosed with heart disease in Northern Ireland.   “We are incredibly proud to be able to engage our network of stores and teams of staff with the charity, helping them to raise their profile even more in Northern Ireland, and contribute financial support from our fundraising efforts towards their vital services.   “This is a valued and beloved charity and we’re delighted to build this partnership to have a positive impact going forward with ViVO and ViVO Essentials stores.”  Lynn Cowan, Fundraising Manager from Children’s Heartbeat Trust added; “Children’s Heartbeat Trust is thrilled to partner with ViVO and ViVO Essentials, well-known and respected brands across Northern Ireland and in the heart of the community where our families live.  This is a fantastic opportunity to bring great visibility to the charity and help raise key awareness around the need for support services for local children with heart disease.  “We hope communities across NI will embrace this partnership and we look forward to working with retailers, ViVO shoppers and staff to raise vital funds and awareness through stores so that we can continue providing practical, emotional and financial support for families long into the future.’’  To find out more about ViVO and ViVO Essentials and their partnership with Children’s Heartbeat Trust, visit www.childrensheartbeattrust.org.