THE family of a baby girl born with a rare heart defect has launched a fundraising campaign for a lifeline hospital facility.

Emmi Marie McGrady, who was born in September, underwent successful life-saving surgery at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital at only weeks old. 

Now her parents Darren McGrady and Angela Madrick, from Richmond, Whitehaven, are behind a campaign to raise funds for The Sick Children's Trust, a charity which runs Scott House, an accommodation facility on the hospital's grounds where the couple lived during their daughter's operation and recovery.

"We were blown away by this place," said Darren. "It really took away some of the emotional and financial strain of being away from home.

"Just knowing we were only a couple of minutes away from our sick baby really meant a lot to us. They couldn't do enough for us, and even put a spare bed in our room for when Angela's daughter Kennedy came through to stay with us. Nothing was too much trouble."

When Emmi hadn't regained her birth weight after two weeks, medics originally believed it to be a feeding issue. However, a chest X-ray at the West Cumberland Hospital revealed she had an enlarged heart and Emmi was rushed to the high-dependency unit at the Freeman. It was there, after a further scan, that the couple were hit with the "bombshell" news that their daughter's heart was in a very poor condition.

Darren said: "We were absolutely devastated; we just couldn't believe she was so ill. She needed an operation as soon as possible to save her life and was put on a drug to keep her heart working for long enough to get a plan together to do the operation.

"The surgeon then told us that it would be only the fourth time he had done the procedure in 23 years."

Following the surgery, Emmi was is hospital for eight weeks and the family were able to get home for Christmas. They are currently back at the Freeman for a minor follow-up operation, but "hopefully we'll be home soon".

Meanwhile, Darren's friend Andy Sloan is assisting with the fundraising campaign for The Sick Children's Trust, which includes some proceeds from the New Year's Eve Dip, and is continued with a Ska and Soul Night at Whitehaven Civic Hall on Saturday, February 6 (7pm).

It features tribute band The Extra Specials, including the band's original guitarist Roddy Radiation, and Johnny Boy Pryers. Tickets are £10 from the venue, Threads (King Street) or Andy on 07920144407.

Darren said: "I would urge everyone to come along and support an amazing charity that really does make a difference to families of sick children like ourselves."