This October, Finn and his family will be part of the HeartKids Two Feet & A Heartbeat campaign, joining our community walk in Bunbury.
Finn’s family found out about his heart condition at 20 weeks pregnant, and were told that he would need open-heart surgery shortly after birth for him to survive.
Now, four and a half years on, Finn is thriving as a clever, kind and adventurous little boy.
Finn’s mum, Liv, shares his journey and the incredible community of support that has helped them along the way.
Can you tell us about Finn’s heart journey?
We found out about Finn’s CHD the day after my 20 week anatomy scan — a phone call I’ll never forget!.
We were told that Finn had Transposition of the Great Arteries, and that we would be transferred to the Gold Team at KEMH for ongoing care and planning. We were also told that for him to survive, he would need open-heart surgery very shortly after birth to correct his heart.
The rest of my pregnancy, and much of Finn’s first year of life, is a bit of a blur — filled with uncertainty, worry, hospital appointments and simply surviving each day as it came.
But here we are, 4.5 years later, with the most clever, kind and adventurous little boy. You would never know that he had such a tough start to life.
We are so incredibly grateful for the care, support and people who helped get our boy to where he is today.
How has HeartKids supported your journey?
They’ve been a community of support to remind us we aren’t alone and there are other families out there going through this too. It’s a beautiful network of people.
What do you wish more people understood about childhood heart conditions?
They’re just normal kids and people. Everyone has a different story but it doesn’t make them different or any less capable.
What would you say to another heart family?
The journey never ends and the worry never stops but the people you meet along the way are so wonderful. These children truly are something special. Don’t be afraid of the diagnosis!
To support families like Finn’s, register to attend your local Two Feet & A Heartbeat walk today.
