A desperate appeal has been made by a Scottish father for his two-year-old daughter to be moved to a specialised hospital to save her life following a cardiac arrest in Morocco. Fatima D’Souli suffered a cardiac arrest eight weeks ago at just two years old, and her father Joe, residing in Livingston, is urgently seeking to have her transferred from the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, a specialist children’s heart unit. Fatima was previously leading a happy life in Morocco with her mother before the sudden tragedy occurred. She was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy after her cardiac arrest in November, a condition that will necessitate a heart transplant in the future. Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease characterized by thickened, stiffened, or stretched heart walls.
When receiving the distressing news that his daughter was in a critical condition, Joe swiftly travelled from Scotland to Morocco where the family was residing to be at Fatima’s side. Lia’s Wings, a charity, facilitated the family’s transfer to the UK for essential medical care, where they have been since their arrival. Despite receiving excellent care in the UK, including attention from dedicated nurses and doctors, Fatima’s condition requires urgent intervention as she awaits a heart transplant. The Freeman Hospital, one of only two children’s cardiac units in the UK, had initially planned to transfer Fatima three weeks ago, but the transfer was postponed. Joe is concerned about the delay in transferring Fatima and fears her health may deteriorate during the wait.
Fatima has been accepted onto the transplant list at the Freeman Hospital, but a shortage of Ventricular Assisted Device (VAD) beds poses a challenge. A VAD, or Berlin Heart, provides mechanical support for children with end-stage heart failure while awaiting a heart transplant. Joe emphasised the critical nature of Fatima’s condition, noting that she requires resuscitation even after performing simple tasks. The family has launched a fundraising campaign to support Fatima during her hospital stay, which is expected to be financially burdensome.
As Fatima remains in hospital in Glasgow, her family has initiated a crowdfunding effort to help cover the expenses involved in her care. Efforts have been made to contact NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Freeman Hospital for input on Fatima’s situation. The urgency of the situation underscores the need for timely and coordinated efforts to ensure Fatima receives the necessary medical treatment to save her life.