Doncaster grandad's gruelling challenge for tot with congenital heart disease
A Doncaster grandad is taking on a gruelling challenge – to support his grandson born with a congenital heart disease
Little Jackson’s mum Chelsea Cavanagh is encouraging readers to join her dad in fundraising for Children’s Heart Surgery Fund this February – which is World Heart Month, so they can help more families like hers.
Chelsea’s son Jackson was diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) as a result of pre-natal scans and tests, and he underwent eight-hour open heart surgery just eight days after he was born.
And CHSF helped Jackson and family cope with the experience of his treatment at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit .
Chelsea’s dad Dale - Jackson’s grandad, is taking on the 10,000 push ups in 100 days challenge for CHSF, and you can donate here:
Jackson is now 10 months old and mum Chelsea told his amazing story.
“When Jackson was born he immediately required medical intervention,” she said.
"By four hours old, he was diagnosed with hypoplastic aortic arch and coarctation of the aorta, which required open heart surgery to survive.
"At eight days old, he underwent a successful eight-hour surgery to correct the aortic arch, but recovery was extremely challenging.”
For days, Jackson struggled to breathe, requiring multiple attempts to remove the ventilator.
He was also on several drains, pacer wires, and medications.
After a tough recovery in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, he was moved to the heart ward and eventually discharged after a week.
At three weeks old, Jackson was readmitted due to poor feeding, weight loss, and breathing problems.
Tests revealed issues with his airways, including left-sided vocal cord palsy, Grade 1 subglottic stenosis, laryngomalacia, and left main bronchomalacia.
He underwent another surgery to secure his airways.
However, complications led to further hospitalisations, including a pneumonia diagnosis.
Jackson, now 10 months old, is stable but still faces challenges, including upcoming surgery for a gastronomy feeding peg due to continued difficulties with feeding and swallowing.
She added: “Despite the hardships, we are forever grateful to the medical teams at Leeds General Infirmary for saving Jackson’s life and the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund for looking after us. He is now a cheeky, strong little boy who brings joy to everyone he meets.”
CHSF works to empower patients of all ages in their journey with congenital heart disease (CHD) - as babies, children, teenagers and throughout adulthood, and provides a holistic family support service at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit (LCHU).
Babies born with heart disease from Yorkshire, North Derbyshire, North Lincolnshire and the Humber are often urgently treated at the LCHU in the first months, weeks or even days of their lives.
CHSF family support includes wellbeing, practical and financial assistance for families, and donations also provide vital resources and services including parent accommodation, life-saving medical equipment and NHS staffing.
This month, hundreds of individuals, families, schools and businesses across the region are taking part in Wear Red Day for CHSF – which can take place on any day this month - to raise both money and awareness.
Sign up to Wear Red Day at www.chsf.org.uk/wear-red-day and donate on their Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/wear-red-day-2025
or by texting CHSFWRD (plus any amount up to 20) to 70085.