Speaker Myriam Barker - Keeping the Beat

Myriam is a Community Fundraiser for the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF). Her role is to assist supporters and volunteers in organising fundraising events and help raise awareness about the work the charity does in the community – and more specifically in the regions of North and West Yorkshire. Her aim is to contribute to increasing funds to help the children and families who need the heart unit.

Mike Clewes introduced Myriam by telling us a bit about the help that he and Janet received from CHSF when Colin had the second and third of his heart operations at Killingbeck (since merged into Leeds General Infirmary. Myriam then confirmed the parent's view by explaining that she got involved with the charity because her son was born with a congenital heart defect. She gave us a background to CHSF which was started by the then head pediatric surgeon Duncan Walker in 1988.

She explained that around 400 children have open heart surgery at the heart unit each year, and there are around 10,000 are continuing outpatients from the region.

Their support also extends to adult congenital heart patients. They support these patients and their families by providing toys and other comforts for the children, help for the parents including accommodation at the hospital and support for the surgical team in terms of equipment and training.

Following the failed attempt by the NHS to close the children's heart unit at LGI (thanks to the support of this charity) the unit now needs to significantly upgrade it's operating theatre in order to meet the leading edge technology it is expected to provide within three years. This means building a new children's heart theatre which will provide: -

   Less Invasive Surgery

    Faster Recovery

    Shorter Waiting Times

    Less Post Operative Pain

    Fewer Complications

For more information explaining this in more detail: - Watch The Video