'Our little girl is 5 years old and it's thanks to a heart transplant that this little hero is still with us'

‘Princess Bea’ had a giant cake and lots of love to mark her big day this week, even though she was a little under the weather.

She was 15 months when she became ill

But it was all so different in 2022.

Mum Cheryl, from Roker, said her then 15-month-old daughter Beatrix suddenly fell critically ill with heart failure. She was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, suffered a cardiac arrest and was saved by CPR.

Beatrix would only return home if a successful heart transplant took place. She remained in hospital for just under 15 months, during which time Cheryl lived at the hospital.

But she did more than just keep a vigil by her daughter’s bedside. She made it her mission to help other people.

Saved by expert surgeons

Beatrix had an operation to fit a line into her body so she could receive medication but she had a cardiac arrest and was saved by expert surgeons at the Freeman Hospital who performed open heart surgery.

Then came a 14-month wait for a new heart.

The little girl lived in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for a year and was attached to tubes which acted as her ventricles.

She finally got her new heart in 2023 and now Cheryl has said: “Five feels awfully grown up!”

A giant cake all to herself

A party had been planned for the amazing youngster but Cheryl said: “We pulled in to her party and she became unwell so we are going to plan something else. She was gutted but handled it well. It meant she had a big cake to herself.”

Bea’s parents Cheryl and dad Terry said they were ‘feeling so blessed. Feeling happy and sad and all the feelings in between.”

Terry added: “January carries a lot of feelings for us who were in the Freeman Hospital together. Never forgotten.”

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