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By Paul Sims
Last updated at 12:17 AM on 01st July 2008
For 11 long months Theo Davies has battled to stay alive. Now, it has all come down to 14 days.
Doctors have warned his devastated parents that without a heart transplant, Theo will not survive another fortnight.
Ryan Davies and Rebecca Giles are begging for a donor to help their 11-month-old son who is on a life-support system in hospital.
Theo Davies has two weeks to live unless a donor heart becomes available
They can't bear the thought of the little boy who has defied doctors all his short life not making his first birthday.
Theo was born with an incurable heart defect that means only one side of his heart grows. Although he has had five major operations to stabilise his condition, a heart transplant is his only real chance of survival.
Mr Davies, a 22-year-old builder, said his son had amazing strength, surviving an operation last week in which his heart stopped for over an hour.
'We were told that he would probably have brain damage because there was no oxygen going to his brain but when they came back with some test results it showed that there was no damage,' he explained.
'It just underlines how strong Theo is. He's been through so much in his short life and all he seems to do is fight back.
'He's defied the doctors over and over again and I'm just praying that he can do it one more time.
'We know that Theo needs a new heart and for that to happen another little child's parents need to donate a heart to Theo. We've already thought of the worst case scenario for us and we know that we would want Theo's organs to go to helping keep another child alive.
'I only hope that someone can do that for us if they are in the same position.'
Theo: Mum Rebecca said: 'I can't think of a worse situation to be in'
Theo was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which affects one in every 5,000 babies. Few, however, are as severely affected as he has been.
He spent the first four months of his life in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle before his parents were allowed to take him home to Keswick in Cumbria.
'We had him for three months and it was fantastic, especially over Christmas,' Mr Davies said. 'He's perfect. He's so happy when he's at home with us. I can't really bear to think about life without him.
'We've got to stay positive for his sake. Some days are good and we know everything will be OK but then the next day we're a mess and it's just Theo that keeps us going.'
Miss Giles, who cares full-time for their son, said it was a harrowing time for the family.
'I can't think of a worse situation to be in,' she said. 'Our child will die in two weeks unless we can find a heart donor. But to find another heart for Theo means that another child will die. It feels like an impossible situation.
'I hope someone who can do something to help Theo hears about this and helps us. I feel like that's our only hope.'
Dr Richard Kirk, paediatrics cardiologist at Freeman Hospital, said: 'Theo is on a life support machine now and the very maximum someone can stay on that is six weeks.
'A lot of children die while waiting for a donor and I really hope that Theo finds a new heart in time.
'He is a smashing little boy and a real fighter.'
Theo shortly after his birth. The family are desperate for a donor to save Theo's life
Find this story at www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1030614/The-baby-die-weeks-unless-gets-donor-heart-birthday.html
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