A mum is hoping to make her terminally ill daughter's dream come true after they were told she is now on end of life care.
Samantha MacVicar was told her daughter Caitlin Shaw would not survive her first 24-hours after they found out she was born with a severe heart condition. The family were rushed to Alder Hey, from Northwich, where they were told she needed life saving surgery.
At just three weeks old, Caitlin underwent surgery before a further operation at six-weeks old, which stabilised her heart for some time. Despite being faced with many health complications, Caitlin is now aged 20 and has been an "inspiration".
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But the family received some devastating news this month when they were told by doctors that she would now be under palliative care and she had agreed to a DNR [do not resusitate]. Mum Sam is now hoping to make as many memories as they can, ticking off Caitlin's bucket list.
She told the ECHO: "During my pregnancy everything was fine, we didn't know she'd be poorly, they just said she'd have a bigger head than normal but never mentioned problems with her heart and lungs, she's only got one working lung. She was born full-term as well.
"We didn't know until 24-hours after that she had a serious heart problem and she needed life-saving treatment when she was strong enough. It was quite traumatic at the time. They gave me a long list of what was wrong with her and I did ask why it wasn't picked up but they said they didn't think she would live past 24-hours."
But from the age of six, Caitlin's health deteriorated. At the age of 10, she was also diagnosed with severe Klipple-Feil Syndrome [an abnormal fusion of the bones in the neck], severe scoliosis kyphoscoliosis [an abnormal curvature of the spine] and a combination of health issues that "have never been seen before in our country". She has since needed around-the-clock care.
Recently, the family were told that Caitlin's aorta stenosis [heart valve disease] had been upgraded from moderate to severe and this time it was inoperable and she was placed under palliative care. Sam added: "It's horrible watching your daughter go through this.
"It's still so raw, it's heart-breaking seeing her agree to a DNR, she'd had high hopes of having an operation, she lives in constant pain it's horrible to see."
A fundraising page has since been raised to help Caitlin make special memories with her loved ones. They hope to take a cruise so she can experience another country. Also on Caitlin's bucket list is a spa day, spending a day with a horse and a trip on the London Eye.
The fundraising page has so far raised over £1,000 of its £5,000 target as it reads: "Caitlin is a very strong, brave young lady and an inspiration to others. She has a smile that lights up the room and an infectious laugh with a wicked sense of humour that everyone loves.
"She has and still remains to put up one almighty fight, and battles against all odds, baffling the medical team along the way. Now free of the medical team, that had been restricting what she could do for most of her life, she now would like to do some of the fun things she couldn't do.
"We are hoping as a family that we can achieve at least this one last wish with the help and support of others to complete some of her bucket list before her health deteriorates anymore and see her continuing to smile."
The fundraising page can be found here.
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