'Most parents want the best possible future for their children. For Elliott, we just hope for a future'

A letter from the parents of a GOSH patient to the readers of The Independent

There are times in life when "thank you" doesn't seem enough. When offering our gratitude seems so inadequate it leaves us feeling guilty we can’t offer more. Elliott is approaching a year at Great Ormond Street Hospital after suffering end stage heart failure last February. Countless times we have watched medical professionals work modern day miracles to keep him alive. We still need the greatest miracle of all, a new heart for Elliott and quite possibly the most selfless act humanity can offer.

Elliott is our only child. In the two years he has graced us with his presence, we have spent the majority of his life in hospital. We have kissed him good bye more times than we care to remember. Fighting to keep him alive is the only life we know. This is our normal. A normal we have decided to embrace and seek every positive from.

The main positive is that Elliott is still here. If it wasn’t for funding dedicated to advancing heart failure technologies such as the Berlin Heart, which is keeping Elliott alive, he would have grown his wings a long time ago. We would never have heard him say ‘mummy’ or ‘daddy’ or see his cheeky personality flourish under the most stressful of circumstances. No matter what the future holds, for this additional time we will be eternally grateful. This situation teaches you to be thankful for what you have; for the small things in life. Every kiss, every hug, every smile, every time we feel his warm breath on our skin, we grasp on to and cherish every moment we have with Elliott.

We are reminded of the contributions and generosity of the public everywhere we look at GOSH. The only window with a view from Bear Ward, where Elliott resides, looks across to the new clinical wing being built. This will house a new specialist unit dedicated to tackling heart failure in children. Play specialists, funded by charitable donations, are a daily joy for Elliott, bringing light and laughter in to his room in the most innovative of ways.

Then there’s the public-funded research, enabling clinicians to develop drugs to slow down transplanted hearts wearing out and the creation of new hormone treatments with the aim of ultimately preventing the need for transplant at all. It was an honour to share Elliott’s story for the Give to GOSH Appeal. Our hope is that our contribution, no matter how small, raises awareness of the life saving work GOSH carries out for children from all over the UK and allows future patients to suffer less than Elliott has.

Most parents want the best possible future for their children. For Elliott, we just hope for a future. Thanks to the continued public support for GOSH through campaigns like the Give to GOSH appeal, our hope, and Elliott, is still alive. Your donations have ensured that GOSH will remain a beacon of light and hope for families in their darkest hour.

Forever thankful, forever grateful and forever hopeful,

Adrian and Candace Livingstone

To find out more about our charity auction and to make your bid, please visit www.givergy.com/charity/gosh

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