"I’m Steph , volunteer for Little Miracles Milton Keynes and a mum to a CHD (Congenital Heart Disease) child. I could talk forever about how CHD has affected our family and our outlook on life.

Esmé was born with several CHDs and other complications. When you get told your child has a complex heart condition the emotions and feelings attached to this is such an out-of-body experience.
Esmé is such a fighter. I can’t tell you how proud I am of her everyday.

The challenges we face with having a child with CHD is the unknown, what tomorrow brings, what the future holds. But what we know for certain is what we have now. That’s why as a family we are obsessed with making all the memories we can. And we don’t just mean trips and holidays (they are nice!) but we mean the little wins too!

Esmé has an older brother and whilst he didn’t understand any of this when he was younger, he is Esmé’s biggest supporter when it comes to milestones or general achievements. He has been with us through it all and is the biggest distraction and helper.

What no one tells you is the outlook on life - did I know my child would have other complications than just CHD? No. But I wouldn’t have her any other way. Things such as mobility issues, hip issues, speech and language, eating difficulties, sleep issues (this does suck a lot), medication their whole life, no immune system and weakness to infections, eczema, etc etc.

I’m so proud to raise awareness!"

If your family are affected by CHD and you would like to find out the support Little Miracles can offer, please visit our Get Help page.