Little miracle Evie, 3, pledges to raise funds for the hospital that saved her life

Chelsea Holder was an excited young mum-to-be.
Little Evie Jean Halkyard is getting ready to start nursery after heart surgery.Little Evie Jean Halkyard is getting ready to start nursery after heart surgery.
Little Evie Jean Halkyard is getting ready to start nursery after heart surgery.

Finding out she was pregnant at 21, she and partner, Carl, were just like many parents-to-be - excitedly planning and preparing for their new arrival.

Chelsea, who lives in Airedale, Castleford, said: "We were over the moon when we were told that everything was ok at the dating scan. I was 11 weeks and four days and our baby was healthy.

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"My due date was April 7 2018 - the same due date as my sister, Jessica - there were to be our first babies and we were so excited. We were buying little baby clothes and other bits and booked for an early gender scan.

"I was 15 weeks and found out I was having a girl. We were so happy and decided on the name Evie straight away, choosing the middle name Jean after my grandma, who sadly passed away."

"We were so excited."

But that excitement turned to unbelievable worry when doctors discovered something on little Evie's heart at her 20 week scan.

"It's a moment I will never forget. I've literally never cried as much," Chelsea said.

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"I was given an emergency referral to Leeds General Infirmary, where they found several things on Evie's heart - Tretolgy of Fallot with AVSD, a very rare condition."

Tetralogy of Fallot is caused by a combination of four heart defects, which affect the structure of the heart, cause oxygen-poor blood to flow out of the heart and to the rest of the body.

Chelsea said she was advised that terminating the pregnancy would be the best option as they believed Evie wouldn't survive.

The same advice and option was given at 28 weeks but Chelsea was determined to give her little girl a fighting chance.

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"All the way through my pregnancy I was so scared and didn't know whether to buy a pram, prepare her nursery or buy any more clothes. I didn't even know if I should have a baby shower."

But trying to remain optimistic and hoping for the absolute best, Chelsea and Carl carried on preparing for their new arrival.

"We went ahead with buying absolutely everything and even had a baby shower, which gave me positive vibes that Evie would survive."

Then, at 39 weeks, Chelsea's waters broke and she was taken to LGI where and emergency C-Section was performed.

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Born breach, little Evie was taken straight to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to be monitored - and four days later, Chelsea and Carl had some great news.

"My miracle baby was allowed home! In fact, she was discharged before I was! I couldn't believe it."

Evie is profoundly deaf in her right ear and also has Urban Syndrome in her left eye and muscle delay in her legs and feet. But she is her family's little ray of sunshine.

"You wouldn't think anything was even wrong with her," Chelsea said.

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"She's absolutely beautiful, inside and out and the strongest little three year old ever. I can't put into works just how proud of her I am. "

On October 7 2019. Evie had a procedure on her heart and, after worrying times of low oxygen and two stents, she underwent open heart surgery on October 30 last year.

Chelsea said: "She was in surgery for nine hours - it was the longest and scariest thing, not knowing if my daughter was going to make it.

"Mrs Carin Van Dorn did Evie's surgery and I will be forever grateful to this incredible, talented woman who saved my daughter's life. I will never forget this lovely lady."

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Evie spent two weeks in hospital, her little body battling through infection and collapsed lungs, being cared for in intensive care and ward L51 at LGI.

"The staff were amazing and looked after my princess, making me feel at home too. "

After hospital visits and more surgery, Evie is well on the road to recovery, even though she faces more surgery in the future.

In the meantime, Chelsea and Evie are raising funds for the hospital that saved their family.

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"A few weeks after Evie recovered, I wanted to give something back to the Children's Heart Surgery Fund at Leeds for what they did for me and to also help other babies in similar situations.

"Evie, my sister, friend and nephew all did a 5K walk and raised £700.

"I'm doing more fundraising soon to raise more money for this amazing hospital. This time, businesses, friends, family and even just random people have generously donated thousands of pounds worth of prizes for a raffle that I plan on drawing on October 30 - Evie's heart anniversary.

"I just felt like I needed to give something back to them - I honestly can't say just how much I appreciate everything they have done for my daughter, for me and our family. I will be forever grateful.

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"Evie is currently doing amazingly! She proves everybody wrong all of the time!

"She'll be starting nursery in just a few weeks time and can now just run around like her other friends without getting out of breath.

"She is just incredible and a miracle. And if it wasn't for the incredible surgeons, high dependency unit and L51 ward at LGI, my funny, happy, beautiful daughter wouldn't be where she is today."