Dad running marathon for daughter who had heart surgery at 20 days old

Little Poppy Woodward was just 20 days old when she underwent open heart surgery.

The tiny baby was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect when she was born, and needed the surgery to save her life.

Despite facing so many obstacles – Poppy had a second surgery at 18 months old – the little girl is now thriving.

And now, her devoted Dad, Craig, is running the London Marathon next month to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, in honour of his brave daughter.

Craig, 41, from Rutland, recalls those days after Poppy’s diagnosis in November 2011.

He says: ‘Poppy was just so little and my wife, Danielle, and I remember speaking with the surgeon and thinking he had such big hands.

‘How on earth was he going to operate on our daughter? But he was brilliant and finding out the operation had gone well was a huge relief.

‘Without this diagnosis and surgery, Poppy wouldn’t have survived.’

Poppy was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect known as truncus arteriosus.

The condition means a single blood vessel comes out of the heart, instead of the usual two vessels.

Poppy’s pulmonary artery had failed to separate from her aorta in the womb which meant oxygen-poor blood and oxygen-rich blood are mixed in her heart.

As a result, too much blood was going to her lungs and her heart was working harder to pump blood around the rest of her body. 

Doctors needed to operate to separate the arteries and insert a specialised tube to help correct the way her blood flows. 

She had the seven hour operation at Glenfield Hospital, in Leicester.

Afterwards, she was put on a ventilator to help her breathe and sent to Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to recover.

While she was there, her nurses also kept a journal of her recovery for her to look back on too.  

‘Nothing can prepare you for seeing her lying there, so small, with all the tubes attached to her – it was heart breaking,’ added Craig, who works as an export account manager at Long Clawson Dairy.  

‘Both of us would have taken her place if we could.’

Two and a half weeks after her operation, Poppy was allowed home with regular check-ups – first every two months and then every five.

However, doctors later found her tube had started to disintegrate.

This meant at just 18 months old Poppy was back in for her second open-heart surgery to have it replaced.  

Thankfully since then, Poppy, now 11, has continued to do well. She swims, does ballet, runs and even enjoys cycling to school.  

Craig, who is also a father to Callum, 19, and Freddie, 11 months, said: ‘We were told she might struggle with her condition as she gets older, but we haven’t seen any signs of it. Nothing’s holding her back.’

Craig is now taking on the iconic TCS London Marathon on Sunday 23 April to raise vital funds for the BHF’s lifesaving research into heart conditions, including congenital heart conditions.  

Poppy will need another operation to change her tube again, as well as to repair and replace a leaking valve, a common side effect of this operation.

Doctors think it could happen within the next year.  

Craig said: ‘I’m so proud of Poppy and what she’s overcome in her life at such a young age. She’s never let it stop her. She’s a super little girl.  

‘Poppy sees what’s happened to her as special. Her heart condition is a part of her, and she doesn’t shy away from it. She has an amazing attitude towards life.’

Craig says that Poppy is also very proud of her Dad’s marathon efforts.

He added: ‘I’ve never done anything so hard in my life. You have to dedicate so much time to train, especially fitting it around family life and work.

‘But it’s important for me to help raise awareness for people with heart conditions.

‘What the BHF does in terms of research is second to none and by doing this, I’ll continue to help fund lifesaving research for families like mine.’

Before the BHF existed, the majority of babies diagnosed with a severe heart defect in the UK did not survive to their first birthday and some are still expected to die at birth.

Today, thanks to research, more than 8 out of 10 survive to adulthood.   

Karen McDonnell, senior events manager at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), added: ‘We never fail to be inspired by the incredible stories of our supporters, and Craig is no exception.

‘His daughter Poppy is a remarkable young girl who has had to overcome so much already in her life.  

‘Every single step our runners take will power science with the potential to beat heart and circulatory disease.

‘We’re extremely grateful for Craig’s support and can’t wait to cheer him over the finish line.’

To help Craig reach his fundraising target, visit his JustGiving page.

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