A MUM has thanked a Southampton hospital after her 'miracle boy' has finally gone home after spending a year in a ward.

Little Carion Barry-Edwards was only six months old when he suffered a cardiac arrest at home.

He was rushed to Southampton Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy – a rare disease of the heart muscle which makes it difficult to pump blood to other parts of the body.

Due to his tiny size and the severity of the disease, Carion's family were told to prepare for the worst.

The baby boy was put on the heart transplant list while being treated in the paediatric intensive care and high dependency units, but mum Shantelle was warned that the chances of a successful outcome were very low.  

The odds were stacked against him but determined doctors refused to give up on him.

As a result of heart failure, Cairon was failing to gain weight like other children his age because of severe discomfort in his gut every time he was moved over to formula milk.

Once he started to gain weight cardiologist, Dr Tara Bharucha, started the lengthy process of finding the right drugs to treat him with. 

And with the agreement of Cairon’s mum, Dr Bharucha opted to trial a new heart failure drug called Entresto, which, unlike his previous medication, can be safely administered at home.  

Daily Echo: Carion Barry-EdwardsCarion Barry-Edwards

Dr Bharucha said: “Entresto hasn’t widely been used in children and Cairon is thought to be one of the first children under the age of one in the UK to receive it. He’s certainly the first in Southampton. 

“It is not something that would be suitable for every young patient, but we were hopeful it would benefit Cairon and are so pleased with the outcome."

She added: “When Cairon first came to us he was a very poorly little boy and there were several moments when I had to discuss with his mum the possibility that he might not survive. But he has amazed us with his determination and strong will – he really is our little miracle. "

Dr Bharucha also praised the resilience of Cairon’s mum, Shantelle, 40, who has not left her son’s side since the day he was admitted, sleeping both on the wards and at Ronald McDonald House. 

The mum-of-three from Reading, said “It’s been a crazy year, a bit of a blur really. I haven’t been home for 12 months and I’ve only seen my other children, Tafari and Ayanna, a handful of times, but you just have to go with it.  

“I never doubted for a minute that we wouldn’t be going home one day. It wasn’t an easy path to get here, but I always knew deep down that Cairon would be ok. 

“I just want to say thank you to everyone involved in his treatment and care at Southampton Children’s Hospital. They have been amazing and the fact that I am getting to take my son home says it all.” 

Cairon, now 18 months old, will continue to need care and there is a possibility he will require a heart transplant as he grows but, for now, he is home and just in time to celebrate the 17th birthday of his big brother, Tafari.

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