Cora's Story

At 15 months old, Cora was diagnosed with a hole in her heart. Now 4 and a half, she recently underwent open heart surgery at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. Cora's Dad, Adam, is running the 10K at this year's Edinburgh Marathon Festival for Crossbasket House. The family live in Jedburgh, and were incredibly thankful for their room at Crossbasket House, allowing them to be near Cora during her open heart surgery and recovery in hospital.

Cora's Hospital Journey

After a first surgery date was cancelled, a second came at very short notice – a phonecall on a Friday evening with an offer of surgery on the Monday, but requiring the family to be in Glasgow from the Sunday afternoon.

“With really just one day to get everything sorted before making the two-hour plus journey to Glasgow we quickly sorted out a suitcase for ourselves, a bag for Cora and arranged for Cora’s older sister Amber to stay with grandparents, at least for a couple of days,” Linsey said.

“Cora’s surgery went well, with just a minor complication meaning it went on a little longer than planned. After an overnight stay in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Cora then got moved into Ward 1E the following day.”

First Impressions of Crossbasket House

While Linsey stayed with Cora as she settled into the ward Adam nipped across to Crossbasket House to check-in.

Adam said: “Although I’d had a brief look at the website after our outpatients appointment, I was absolutely blown away by the facilities available at the house for families when Monika showed me round."

"To be able to cook our own meals, have our daughter Amber come and stay with us while Cora was in hospital, and just really be together as a whole family- it was overwhelming."

Adam, Cora's Dad

"After quickly completing all the paperwork and seeing our room I headed back to see Linsey and Cora and as I started to explain it all to Linsey I couldn’t help but get emotional about how amazing it all was.

It was such a huge relief to us to be able to stay within the hospital campus and be so close to Cora for the duration of her stay in hospital.”

Cora's Recovery

Cora recovered quickly from her surgery, although due to having some fluid around her heart and lungs she needed to have her chest drains in longer than had been expected. This extended her stay at the hospital by a couple of days.

“Although one of us always slept overnight in the ward with Cora, just knowing that we could pop over to Crossbasket for a homecooked meal, a shower and some fresh clothes was a weight off our shoulders,” Linsey said. “Being able to come and go as we needed and be so close also meant that we could minimise the time that Cora did not have either one of us around.

“My mum and stepdad brought Amber up on the Wednesday and she stayed up with us from then on. She settled in so quickly to the house, particularly enjoying the soft play area, the library of children’s books, and popping round the corner to the supermarket to pick up ingredients for each night’s dinner.

“We have no doubt that having Amber there helped Cora’s recovery. As Cora got up and about and the chest drains removed, they would go to the ward playroom together, watch their favourite Netflix programme in Cora’s room and joke around like they do at home.

“That was only possible because of Crossbasket House, and we are all incredibly grateful for being one of the lucky families to be able to get a room."

"At one of the most stressful times of our lives it was a home from home, and kept us together as a family.”

Linsey, Cora's Mum

Checking Out of the House

Cora was well enough to be discharged less than a week after her surgery, getting home on the Sunday.

“Before we made the journey back home to the Scottish Borders we took Cora across to the house as we packed,” Adam said. “Amber took great delight in being able to show Cora around, especially the soft play. Although just a matter of days after her surgery Cora was fit enough to take a spin round in one of the ride-on toys.

“It really felt like that closed the circle on our stay in Glasgow and is an extra-special memory of our short time at Crossbasket House.”

Adam, Cora's Dad

Exactly three weeks after her surgery, Cora was back at nursery.