Heart of the matter: Mum’s mission after son’s surgery

CLAIRE Byrne from Mungret is a shining example of resilience and the unyielding strength a mother finds when her child faces a life-altering battle. Her son, Lochlan, was born ten weeks prematurely on January 23, 2022.

What was expected to be a challenging but typical birth turned into a life-altering moment for Claire and her husband, Damien, when their newborn was diagnosed with a complex heart condition —tetralogy of Fallot.

“We didn't find out about his congenital heart disease until the middle of February,” recalled Claire. “It’s been a lot for us as a family. It’s been mind boggling.”

What followed was a whirlwind of medical procedures, hospital visits, and endless uncertainty. Lochlan spent the first 90 days of his life in the neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Maternity Hospital Limerick where Claire and her husband Damien could visit him but were not allowed to hold him. Their older sons, Jonathan and Jamie, could only see their baby brother through pictures.

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Damien went to the matron of the neonatal unit and asked if the boys could see Lochlan before his first procedure. “Their first meeting was through glass so they didn’t even get to hold him,” said Claire. Lochlan underwent open heart surgery in November 2022 following a long wait, as the operation was delayed for six weeks due to a positive Covid test.

“It was the longest day, I'll never forget it,” said Claire who added: “It's the hardest day for a parent to take their baby down to the theatre and... then you don't see him until nearly 12 hours later in the ICU.”

Claire has become a passionate advocate and in an effort to help others, she founded a support group for parents of children with congenital heart defects. The group, which meets monthly at Mungret St Paul’s Community Centre, provides a space for parents to share their experiences.

The charity Heart Children will host its annual conference in Dublin on February 22.