A 3-year-old girl has received the greatest Christmas gift of all as she can finally spend the holidays with her family.
Grace Westwood was given a new heart and this means she will be able to sit by the tree and unwrap her presents – a moment her parents Darren and Becci thought would never come.
After spending two years in the hospital connected to a mechanical heart, she finally received the best gift ever.
“Last Christmas was a scary time. I started to wonder if we would ever get home. I would cry while she was asleep, then try to get up the next day and be positive again,” Becci shared.
“We spent so much time apart while Grace was in the hospital. This year, we are going to sit on the sofa in our pyjamas, watch Christmas movies together, and enjoy every moment.
“It’s those little things that most people take for granted. The chance for Grace – and for us as a family – to be normal. We have dreamed of this for so long.”
Grace’s family now has a new wish – that her friend Beatrix, 1, will also receive the same gift.
Beatrix has spent seven months in the hospital, connected to the same machine that kept Grace alive while waiting for a new heart.
She is one of the 228 children spending the holidays on the transplant waiting list.
Her dad Terry said that she has “learned to walk in hospital. She’s had all her baby teeth come through and is learning to talk. She is making progress every day.
“But every day, there’s also the risk that her body might say it’s had enough. We didn’t know if she would make it to Christmas and we don’t know how long she can wait for a new heart.”
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