Club supports heart charity

There was a special guest at Newark Business Club on Friday — one-year-old Emma Linsey, who was born with a hole in her heart.

Emma was taken to the monthly meeting by her mother, Mrs Laura Linsey (29) of Linton Close, Farndon, who asked the club to adopt Heart Link as their charity for the year.

The charity was formed in 1981 to help parents of children with heart problems.

Mrs Linsey said she and her husband, Mr Paul Linsey (39) had seen how important the facilities provided by the charity were when their daughter needed an operation in February.

Emma was born ten days late weighing 6lb 4oz and seemed fit and well.

But when she went for a check-up at eight weeks a doctor realised there was something wrong with her heart and referred her to King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, that same day.

An ultra-scan found that Emma had a hole in her heart because a valve between the heart and the lungs had not closed properly, meaning blood was leaking through.

The case was referred to heart specialists at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.

Mrs Linsey said the diagnosis was a shock because Emma had seemed a happy, contented baby.

The couple were told that Emma’s problem was rated at three on a scale of one to six and would need an operation.

But doctors decided to wait until she was a little older before carrying it out.

In February keyhole surgery was performed and doctors fitted a device that acts like a cork to stop up the hole.

Emma was allowed home the following the day.

Her parents were able to stay with her overnight making use of a unit that is furnished by the Homelink charity.

Said Mrs Linsey: “We needed it for only a night, but there are many parents who need to be there much longer and we could see how important it would be.”

She said the biggest change in Emma since the operation had been her huge appetite.

“She is like a different child,” she said. “She always had a very skinny body before, but she has really filled out.”

The business club agreed to make Heart Link its charity of the year.

Mrs Linsey said she was delighted.

The Atrium, which hosts the club’s meetings, has also agreed to put collecting boxes on the bar.