The family of a baby who was found to have serious heart defects after a routine check is arranging a Christmas toy drive for the hospital where he was treated.
Ajay McClone, now seven months old, underwent open heart surgery after medics found an irregularity in his primary organ shortly after his birth on May 5.
At first, doctors at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow believed he could have a heart murmur, but his condition soon deteriorated.
The tot was rushed by ambulance to the neonatal ICU unit alongside his mum Collette, 32, and 37-year-old dad Scott, after he started refusing food and losing weight.
Following a week of tests, he was diagnosed with a Tetralogy of Fallot - a combination of four congenital heart defects, reports the Daily Record.
Scott, from Dumfries, said: "It was such a worrying time for all of us. You have this wee baby in front of you and you don't know anything about what he's got. We even had to learn first aid in case he stopped breathing."
Ajay's parents then had to endure an agonising eight-and-a-half hour wait outside theatre as medics operated on his heart.
Scott added: "When he was having the surgery it was like time stopped, you're in a dark place and you're just constantly time checking, wondering if something is wrong. It was a long time."
Two months later, Ajay is making a good recovery and the family plan to spend Christmas at home with his three sisters Lexi, 12, Ariana, four, and two-year-old Ella-Mae.
To show their gratitude to staff at the hospital, Scott and Colette have organised a toy drive named Ajay's Appeal.
The family drop off donated presents to help bring as much joy as possible to children who have to spend Christmas in hospital.
Scott said: "You get to speak to other families with children who have been in the hospital for different amounts of time and you realise that so many people will not be able to have a family Christmas at home. It's not an experience you think about when you have a new born.
"We wanted to do something that would show support to these families and that the staff would also appreciate.
"So far people have been incredibly generous, we didn’t want to spring it on people so late in the year, especially with the cost of living crisis, so we have been mostly collecting locally. But we hope to make Ajay’s Appeal an annual thing."
Although Ajay is now doing well, he will need more surgery as he becomes older.
Scott added: “We are just so grateful to everyone for their support, the staff at the hospital who were amazing with us, those at Ronald McDonald House and the other families we got to know at the hospital. Ajay is doing great now, he’s actually phenomenal.
"For anyone going through something similar, we just want to let them know that no matter how tough things get, no matter how hard things are, that they are not alone."
Jamie Redfern, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Director of Women’s and Children’s services said: “Our dedicated staff at the Royal Hospital for Children work tirelessly to provide the highest standard of care to our patients and support to their families and we are so pleased to see how well Ajay is getting on.
"We would like to thank Scott, Collette, Lexi, Ariana, Ella-Mae and, of course, Ajay for their generosity.
"No family wants to be in hospital, especially at Christmas, but our wonderful team at the RHC will always look for ways to bring joy to everyone spending the festive period with us."
