A toddler who is waiting on a life-saving heart transplant has received messages of support from Kevin Keegan and Gazza.
Little Beatrix Adamson-Archbold, from Burnopfield, County Durham, fell ill in May this year with heart failure. She fought back from a cardiac arrest and is currently waiting at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for a donor organ.
Beatrix, who is 20 months old, underwent surgery to attach her to a Berlin Heart Ventricular Assist Device, which does the work of her own failing heart. The machine will enable her heart to function until she hopefully receives a transplant, which will save her life.
Read more: Ryan Reynolds thanked for giving 6-year-old cancer fighting Blyth Spartans fan a week to remember
Sadly, there is no guarantee that she will receive one.
Beatrix's parents Terry Archbold, 45, and Cheryl Adamson, 40, were stunned when they received the support of North East football legends Kevin Keegan and Paul Gascoigne. The pair, as well as Pete Graves from Sky Sports News, recorded videos in which they sent the family messages of support.
They also donated signed football shirts, which Terry and Cheryl plan to give away in a prize draw. The money raised will be donated to the Red Sky Foundation, which supports families of youngsters who need vital cardiac care.
Terry, who works as a sergeant within the Stanley Neighbourhood Beat Team at Durham Constabulary, said: "I'm absolutely blown away. I had a tear in my eye because it was so unexpected and so lovely. When I saw the videos I was gobsmacked, we both were.
"The type of organ donation is a sensitive topic so it takes quite a bit of courage for them to put themselves in a position to speak publicly about that. I'm really touched by it. I really appreciate what they have done."
Terry said that he has sent a picture of Beatrix wearing the retro England top which Kevin Keegan wore during the World Cup in 1982 to Elite Events, who sent him the videos, so they can pass it on to him.
He said: "Beatrix seems to like her football. She's at the point where she's learning words and learning to speak. One of her first words was ball. She loves a little game of pass so it's all quite fitting really."
Terry and Cheryl, who lost their daughter Isabel when she was stillborn in 2018, initially thought Beatrix may have contracted covid-19 when she lost her appetite and became lethargic back in May. The family had just returned from a trip to Disney World in Florida and Cheryl and her daughter Eliza, 12, had tested positive for the virus.
Beatrix was rushed in an ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead to be checked out when a small rash appeared on the back of her neck. A doctor detected a heart murmur and chest x-rays revealed that one side of her heart was enlarged and not functioning properly.
The youngster was transferred to the Freeman Hospital where she had a Hickman Line inserted into her body so she could receive medication. During the procedure, Beatrix had a cardiac arrest and medics had to fight to bring her back. She then underwent surgery to attach her heart to a Berlin Heart Ventricular Assist Device.
Terry previously said: "One day everything was normal and the next our lives were turned upside down in an unimaginable way. We have gone through every emotion possible, but we know we must be strong for Beatrix.
"No-one would ever want to be in the position in which we find ourselves, but this is our life until a suitable heart is found for our beautiful girl. Beatrix is a fighter and that gives us hope."
The couple are now doing everything they can to create awareness of organ donation and raise funds for the Red Sky Foundation. An online fundraising page, which has been set up in Beatrix’s name, has already raised more than £2,979 for the charity.
Back in June, six of Terry’s colleagues climbed to the summit of Ben Nevis in Scotland to raise vital funds for The Red Sky Foundation. The Stanley Neighbourhood Police Team said they climbed the mountain to spread Terry's message about child organ donation.
Terry said: "The reality is Beatrix's transplant might not happen because the donor numbers when it comes to children are so low. There's only ever 50 child donors per year.
"Across the UK, over 10,000 adults and children wait for life-saving transplants.
"Would you accept a donated organ to save a loved one? Most people, you would imagine, would say yes. If you would accept a donated organ would you offer that same gift to save several lives?"
Read more:
