Baking It Better

Great Ormond Street Hospital plays such a huge role in family’s lives – and you can help!

- Susan Watson

GOSH mums, Serena and Sarah, have formed a firm friendship since meeting at the hospital. Their sons both have rare and serious heart conditions and together they have supported one another through the highs and lows of their sons’ treatment, as well as raising thousands of pounds for GOSH, including raising funds through the Bake It Better appeal.

Serena’s son, George, now 11, has a serious heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and had open heart surgery at GOSH in February 2015. Serena recalls how it felt to see her eight-year-old son being taken to theatre.

“The moment he was taken into theatre was awful for me. I hadn’t cried until then, because I didn’t want him to see me upset. The operation was due to last around six hours. It was the longest day of my life.”

Following the operation, George was in intensive care for 24 hours before being moved to the high dependency ward. Serena and her husband, Steve, stayed in the family accommodation across the road from the hospital. When George was well enough to move to a private room on the ward, there was a bed for Serena to stay overnight with him.

“To stay overnight in George’s room was fantastic. I don’t know what I’d have done without that. It’s so important that parents can be there.”