In 1989, Stockton’s Natalie Walsh was born “fighting for my life before I even took my first breath”.
She has a congential heart defect and was rushed to Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, and almost died on the way. But the quick-thinking of paramedics including Jackie Southall kept her alive and she soon underwent lifesaving surgery.
Since then, she has been frequently in and out of hospital – and has undergone “countless” heart surgeries, she said. As a thank you to the NHS staff who have looked after her for decades and to raise awareness of heart and organ donation, Natalie is has set up the “12 campaign” to fundraise over the entirety of 2025, even though she could soon get more frightening health news as she has had a cancer scare.
Natalie, now 35, knows that in the future she will need a heart transplant herself, while as a patient in Newcastle she has met many others who have either successfully received transplants, or devastatingly died due to their illnesses. Her plan is now to complete a programme of events from hikes to five kilometre runs to bake sales for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund charity.
The campaigner works for BT and lives in Norton – and told ChronicleLive how her hope is to raise at least £12,000 while getting fit and supporting families going through tough times. She is also soon to be formally reunited with paramedic Jackie who still lives in the Stockton area.
She said: “I was born at North Tees Hospital but I was taken straight away up to the Freeman. I was basically born blue due to the heart condition I have – which is effectively that my arteries are attached the wrong way around. These days they can do a switch to repair the heart, but when I was born the technology was very different.
“I get seen every six months at the Freeman and have had quite a few surgeries growing up. When I was seven I also had a narrowing of the heart chambers – that’s a separate second rare condition.
“My heart’s failing over time and eventually I will need a transplant. It might be next year or it might be in 10 years. I’ve also recently had a pre-cancerous condition and required a hysterectomy.”
She said she recently reached out to the paramedic – a trainee at the time – who helped keep her alive en-route to the Freeman. Natalie said: “I often reflect on the incredible individuals who played a role in my survival. Recently, I reached out to one of those heroes, Jackie Southall, who I discovered through social media.
“To my delight, she was thrilled to hear from me and had always wondered how I was doing. She pursued a career as a paramedic in the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, fulfilling her dream to help others. Serendipitously, we found out we live just down the road from each other, in the same village. We are also hoping to be reunited [next month].”
Back in 1989, the Stockton, Yarm and Thornaby Advertiser featured the paramedics – Jackie and Bob Wright, who was then the only qualified paramedic in the area – on its front page. The story read: “Quick thinking by paramedic assistant Jackie Southall meant that the doctor could check on the baby’s condition, using the paramedic’s own monitor.” That’s because the heart monitor attached to Natalie’s incubator failed during the journey.
That reunion is, Natalie said, set for a coffee morning she is hosting at a local community centre at St Mary’s Church in Norton on February 1. But before that, her first challenge is to walk 31 miles across the 31 days of January.
She added that a key motivation for her was to raise awareness of the need for donor organs. She said this was inspired by people she had met while in hospital, including fellow Teesside heart patient Evie Green.
She added: “The demand for heart transplants has never been higher. I was in hospital at the same time little Evie was, while I also saw a friend pass away on the transplant list at just 15.
“Seeing all of that and being in hospital myself, I wanted to set myself a challenge that would help others, help me with my mental health, and help me lose weight too. And I wanted to do something that was not just a fundraising challenge but also to raise awareness of heart and organ donation.”
NataIie said she hadn’t expected the response she has had thus far – and committed to continue her challenge despite any health challenges. “If I can do it, more or less anyone can,” she added. “I have said to people, whatever it is, I will keep doing it.”
To support Natalie’s challenge, check her JustGiving page here or follow her on Facebook to stay up-to-date on her year of challenges. Find out more about the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) here.
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/health/north-east-heart-failure-patient-30720196
