LUNA Ivy Webster was just five years old when she died, only weeks before her dream of becoming a big sister was about to come true.
The “sassy” little girl from Medway, Kent, who was known for making everyone smile, had been living with a heart condition since birth.
Luna Ivy Webster was born with a heart condition[/caption]
The little girl was known for being sassy and making everyone smile[/caption]
It massively impacted her life, from her ability to socialise to how long she could stay out.
“She couldn’t go near anyone who had a cold,” Aimee Riddell, friend of Luna’s mum, Jess Gardner, told KentOnline.
“For Luna, a common cold would mean extra strain on her heart and would land her in hospital.”
“As she got older, she got tired quicker and had to take rests. She relied on a wheelchair to avoid overexerting herself,” Aimee added.
“She also had a permanent blue tint to her nails and lips due to the lack of oxygen.”
Luna was born with a condition known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS).
It is a rare condition that is caused by an abnormal development before birth and affects 1 in 5,000 babies, with around 200 new diagnoses annually across the UK and Ireland.
The left side of the heart – including the ventricle and aorta – is underdeveloped, which makes it unable to pump blood around the body effectively.
Luna required several emergency procedures and suffered from cardiac arrest when she was just over a month old.
Overseen by specialists at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, there were three major operations the youngster needed to reconfigure her heart and improve blood circulation. Two took place within her first year.
These included the Norwood procedure in February 2020 and the Glenn procedure, which happened three months later.
On Tuesday, September 23, Luna went in for her third and final operation.
Doctors carried out the Fontan procedure, a form of open-heart surgery specifically for children, which would have improved her life expectancy.
Luna will be so sadly missed. All of us are heartbroken
Aimee Riddell
However, on Saturday (October 4), Luna passed away.
She was just five years old and would have celebrated her sixth birthday on November 5.
“Luna was a bright, thoughtful and sassy girl who made everyone smile,” Aimee added.
She died in early October after having heart surgery[/caption]
She was looking forward to being an older sister[/caption]
“She was a showstopper – born to be on stage with the many songs she liked to make up.
“Her favourite things were the character Stitch from Lilo and Stitch, and KPop Demon Hunters, which came out recently.
“Luna had a huge mothering instinct, with a ton of baby dolls and was constantly telling people about her baby brother, who is due at the end of November.”
What is hypoplastic left heart syndrome?
HYPOPLASTIC left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare type of congenital heart disease, where the left side of the heart doesn’t develop properly and is too small.
This results in not enough oxygenated blood getting through to the body.
It most cases, it is caused by something going wrong during the very early stages of pregnancy.
Babies with HLHS may look normal immediately after birth, but they can become breathless and very ill if not treated quickly.
It’s not possible to correct the condition with surgery, but several operations can help sufferers have a better quality of life.
Some children survive with HLHS, others do not.
The longest survivors at present are in their late 20s.
Source: British Heart Foundation and NHS
A GoFundMe page has since been launched, and at the time of writing, around £7,600 has been raised, over its £7,500 target.
On the fundraiser, it describes Luna as a “sassy little heart warrior”.
Aimee says the money will go towards the funeral and ease any other financial burdens.
“Luna was loved by so many, but no one more than her devoted, strong mummy Jess,” she explained.
“Now Jess is left with the heartbreak of losing her child while having to navigate the next steps.”
Aimee added: “I think the fundraiser shows just how many people Luna touched in her life.
“Luna will be so sadly missed. All of us are heartbroken.”
