For parents-to-be having a scan offers the first sight of their baby.
But it can be a worrying experience, waiting and wondering if the sonographer will uncover a defect.
Charity Tiny Tickers aims to improve the detection, care and treatment of babies with serious heart conditions.
Tiny Tickers has trained all the sonographers in Huddersfield and Halifax to detect heart defects during pregnancy, improving diagnosis, delivery and survival rates for all newborn children with Congenital Heart Disease living in our area.
And it’s just had a £500 boost from the Slaithwaite Country Show.
One mum to benefit from the charity is Jo Scadden of Linthwaite.
Already a mum to Leah-Devon, 11, and Jenson, seven, Jo is now 22 weeks pregnant and she and partner Nick Mosley say their last scan saw a sonographer further explore their baby’s heart thanks to Tiny Tickers.
Jo, 38, a speech and language therapist, said: “It was seven years since I last had an ultrasound and this time I was amazed at how much more the sonographer can explore the baby’s heart.
“I was amazed how much they can look at the heart valves and chambers, I felt much more reassured seeing it healthy.
“The biggest fear before having a scan is wondering if there will be something wrong, but it gave me peace of mind to enjoy my pregnancy.”
She saw her friend Gaynor Bearder experience life with a son with a heart defect so she asked Johnny Sykes, one of the organisers of the Slaithwaite Country Show, to consider Tiny Tickers for the donation.
Linthwaite mum-of-two Gaynor Bearder’s son Joel has had two major heart operations after being diagnosed with a severe narrowing of his aortic valve at birth.
The family have been big supporters of the Children’s Heart Unit in Leeds, where Joel is treated. They also did some fundraising for Tiny Tickers during the summer.
She said: “I know that if the technology was available in 2007 that my own son Joel would’ve had a more safer, planned delivery.
“As my friend, Jo has been a huge support to us through our journey with Joel and so both her and her partner were very aware of the implications of CHD being present.
“Thankfully her baby has no CHD but she was overwhelmed by the detail and the level of information that the sonographers were able to provide.”
Jonny Sykes of the Slaithwaite Country Show handed over the £500 to Jenni Cowlishaw of Tiny Tickers.
He said: “The event was a fundraiser for Slaithwaite Cricket Club, it helps towards the club’s upkeep, but we always try to support a small charity each year and this year Jo asked if we could support Tiny Tickers and we were happy to.
“It’s a good cause and one that helps a lot of people.”
