First day at school for brave heart-op boy

Aug 21 2008 by Lesley Brown, Hamilton Advertiser

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD Hamilton boy who underwent open-heart surgery last month started primary school this week.

Nathan Lawie, who was born with cyanotic heart disease, had the operation at Yorkhill Hospital on July 17.

Having made a steady recovery, Nathan was discharged just one week after the surgery, and started at Woodhead Primary School on Monday.

Dad Derek Lawie said: “It was a great day for us. We weren’t sure Nathan was going to be well enough to start school this term.

“His operation was supposed to take place earlier this year, but was cancelled twice and put back.

“So we were delighted that he got to start school with all the other kids.”

Having undergone his first surgery at just nine-days-old, the heart operation in July was Nathan’s third.

Derek said: “When Nathan was born, we didn’t know there was anything wrong at first. His colour started to change though, and he was taken to a special unit.

“When we were told that Nathan would have to be transferred, we realised he was seriously ill.

“It was a really scary time for my wife Hazel and I because nobody could tell us exactly what was wrong.

“When doctors told us Nathan would probably have to undergo open-heart surgery at around six to 12 months, we were both very worried.

“However, he had a ‘shunt’ done at nine-days-old, which is where a tube is inserted to keep the heart valve open, and this meant they could delay performing the more risky surgery.”

Nathan had another ‘shunt’ operation carried out when he was about two-and-a-half, and that allowed surgeons to put-off the major operation until this year.

Derek said: “Nathan has to avoid contact sports because of his medication. Due to the increased risk of blood clots, a bump could cause serious damage like internal bleeding. Aside from this, he is now just like any other five-year-old.”

To thank staff at Yorkhill Hospital, where Nathan was treated, Derek and the rest of the family have sponsored fundraising bowling tournaments for the past three years.

The most recent was held at Eddlewood Bowling Club on August 16. More than 100 bowlers from Lanarkshire took part in the charity triples event.

A total of £2650 was raised for Yorkhill Children’s Foundation this year, which will be added to the £7900 raised in 2006 and 2007, bringing the total to £10,550.

Derek said: “We thought this was a tremendous way of giving something back to Yorkhill - where the treatment Nathan and my family receive is second to none.”

He added: “We could never have reached this figure had it not been for the very generous support of The Spice of Life, Cadzow Heavy Haulage and JDR Fencing.”

The money raised this year will be used to purchase INR machines which monitor the thickness of a child’s blood.

Some drugs used after heart surgery carry the risk of blood clots, and these machines can minimise that risk.

To cut down on hospital-visits, INR machines are allocated to families for home use, and the money raised at Saturday’s tournament should enable Yorkhill to purchase six new machines.

Derek said: “This year my family would like to thank all the committee at Eddlewood for their hard work in organising the tournament, especially George Walker and Ronnie Thomson. “We also hope that next year we are able to help Yorkhill Children's Foundation with another successful tournament.”