This story about baby Bertie was picked up in the nationals, including the Daily Mail, the Mirror and the BBC. It was great publicity for the charity Heart Heroes, which does so much to support children like Bertie and their families.
When military couple Gabrielle Bryan and Tyler Rees took their newborn to A&E with a strange sore on his lip, little did they think they were about to be given lifechanging news.
Because baby Bertie, then just six days old, was diagnosed with a major heart condition and is now facing surgery before he reaches six months.
For the couple from Gloucester – Gabrielle, 29, is an army sergeant, and Tyler, 28, is a leading hand in the navy – the news was a devastating blow.
“We just weren’t expecting this, especially as he had been home for a week and living a normal life,” said Gabrielle. “I knew nothing about heart conditions, and I genuinely thought we were going to lose him.”
But they are being helped to get through the ordeal, by Gloucester-based charity Heart Heroes, which supports children with heart conditions and their families.
Bertie is Gabrielle and Tyler’s first baby. They met in the Falkland Islands in 2021, during a six-month deployment. Gabrielle is an HR specialist in the army, while Tyler specialises in naval warfare.
“I had a pretty healthy pregnancy. When Bertie was born in February, he had his post-birth checks and we were released to go home a few hours later, but nothing was picked up.
“Then he developed this tiny little blister on his lip, and we were worried because we knew the cold sore virus could be dangerous for babies, so we rang NHS 111 and were advised to take him to A&E.”
Gabrielle and Tyler then had an anxious wait for Bertie to be assessed. The blister was nothing to be concerned about – but doctors discovered a heart murmur and wanted to do further tests.
After a night in hospital with Bertie, sleeping on the floor at his bedside, a cardiologist’s scan revealed a ventricular septal defect, or VSD, meaning he had a large hole in his heart.
“If we hadn’t taken him in for the blister on his lip, this may not have been picked up until he started to fail to thrive,” said Gabrielle.
Now on medication, and tube-fed, Bertie is doing well and putting on weight, although his breathing is still heavy. He will undergo surgery to repair the hole this summer.
In the meantime, Gabrielle and Tyler have a lot to contend with but have found huge support from Heart Heroes and the other parents.
“Meeting the other parents and hearing their stories, and seeing how they have overcome difficulties, has really helped. And all the team at Heart Heroes are always messaging and offering help. Even after his surgery, they will continue to support our family and we are so grateful to them.”
Now two of the couple’s army friends – Sgt Rachel Harle and Corporal Amy Trimnell – are doing 5km of burpees on June 12. Called Burpees for Bertie!
Tyler and some of his Smith Rugby teammates are taking part in the Cheltenham Half Marathon. All the funds raised will go to Heart Heroes.
George Angell, of Heart Heroes, said: “When parents find out a diagnosis such as Bertie has, it is a real shock. This is where we come in as a charity, helping to provide support and signpost them to available services. The meet-ups we run with other families allow the children and their relatives to get together in a mutually supportive atmosphere.”
To support Rachel and Amy, visit their fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/team/burpeesforbertie?utm_medium=team&utm_content=team%2Fburpeesforbertie&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share.
For more about Heart Heroes, go to https://heartheroes.co.uk/.