Campaign to help baby Noah

THE FAMILY of a five-month-old baby who has just had his seventh operation have thanked the public for their “overwhelming support”.

Little Noah Geraghty was diagnosed with aortic stenosis - a narrowing of the aortic artery from the heart - at just two days old.

He has already had open heart surgery twice and five further operations and spent most of his life in intensive care at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).

His parents - Tyler Geraghty (23) and Mia Byrne (24) - launched a fund-raising appeal to help with their travel expenses and to help when Noah returns to their Maltby home.

Tyler, of Hardie Close, said: “When he was born, everything seemed fine. All of the scans during Mia’s pregnancy were fine.

“We were just ready to take him home and they were just doing the final checks on him and they noticed a heart murmur.

“It just happened so quickly. They rushed him to hospital and he had an operation.

“He was home for a week and then had to go back for a second operation and then another.”

Tyler and Mia have been by Noah’s bedside throughout his treatment and have been staying at Eckersley House - which is run by the charity Sick Children’s Trust - and provides accommodation for parents while their children are being treated at LGI.

Their online fund-raising campaign reached its £3,000 target in just four days.

Tyler said: “The fund-raising is to help us as a family and for when he gets home because he is not going to have a normal life.

“The support has been overwhelming. We can’t thank everybody enough - it’s going to help so much.”

Noah, whose older sister Sydney turned four on Friday, was rushed back to intensive care earlier this month with arenavirus - a common cold.

He had his second round of open heart surgery last week after developing a large hole in his heart and to ease pressure from his lungs.

It turned out that the valve replacement he had in his first bout of open heart surgery had failed sooner than it should have, Tyler said.

The family thought Noah would have to travel to London or Newcastle for the operation but surgeons at LGI made it possible for him to have the surgery there - and he is now recovering well.

“It’ll still be weeks until we get him home but it’s great knowing it’s gone well,” Tyler added.

For more information or if you would like to donate to the family’s appeal visit www.gofundme.com/2swy3d4c.

A night of Soul and Motown will also help pull in cash for Noah’s family.

The event, organised by Rob Jones Entertainments, will be held at Maltby Miners’ Welfare Club, Muglet Lane, on Saturday, November 5 from 7pm.

To book tickets, which cost £8.50, call Rob on 07494 438019.