Jarrod Farrugia

On Sunday 29th March I will be running 14.4km at Run for the kids raising funds for Children’s hospital through the Good Friday appeal.

While I have completed this run before I am running with a purpose this year that is close to my heart. I have the daughter of a client of mine currently in the Children’s hospital waiting for a heart transplant.

As a parent, a friend, and a trainer I want to and have to help where I can because this is the story so far of a beautiful family and a brave and amazing 2 year old named Lucy. 

After taking Lucy to Monash Children’s hospital on the 23rd of December with suspected pneumonia, unfortunately the doctors diagnosed her with a more serious condition. Lucy was then transported via the Paediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency Retrieval team to the Royal Children’s Hospital ICU. 

On Christmas Eve Lucy was diagnosed with Restricted Cardiomyopathy which is a very rare, very serious, incurable condition which only a heart transplant will fix.

On the 27th of December Lucy had a severe cardiac arrest in her father’s arms and was placed on life support. The doctors explained that the chances of Lucy having brain damage was extremely high and to expect the worst.

True Lucy style, she proved everyone wrong. On the 2nd of Jan, Lucy had an operation that placed her on an artificial heart pump (VAD). Due to her condition, Lucy is the first patient her age to have a VAD inserted through her atriums not her ventricals in Australia.

A few weeks later thanks to her resilience and fighting spirit,  Lucy moved from the ICU into the Koala ward where she is eating, walking, having regular OT, physio, music and garden therapy sessions, smiling, and being cheeky. 

Lucy is now officially listed for a heart transplant and will stay on this ward permanently while they wait and hope for the right donor and a new heart for their brave little girl.

#TeamLucy