For Shiva Patel and her son, Ary, this coming June marks a milestone they once feared would never appear on the calendar: Ary’s 10th birthday. It is a decade not just of life, but of a "new heart."
Ten years ago, Ary was a six-month-old infant fighting a silent, internal battle. Today, he is the energetic face of a new Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Charity campaign, urging others to protect the future of the institution that gave him his own.
Ary’s entry into the world was a whirlwind, born just 20 minutes after his parents reached the hospital. But the pace of his arrival masked a dangerous underlying rhythm.
"A lot of people kept saying his heartbeat is very fast," Shiva recalls. In the tight-knit South Asian community, where visitors arrived in waves to bless the new baby, the concern was constant. "I went to the doctor a few times, but they said newborn babies have faster heart rates; it will settle,” it didn’t.
The marathon he didn't know he was running
By six months, Ary was struggling. He refused food, fed every 20 minutes in exhausted bursts, and couldn’t shake off common colds. The reality, though unknown to his parents at the time, was harrowing: Ary was born with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), specifically three large holes in his heart, each measuring roughly 1.5 cm.
"The consultant at GOSH explained it like this: Imagine you’re running a marathon, and while you’re running, someone tries to feed you. Would you feel like eating?" Shiva says. "His heart was doing a marathon on a daily basis just to stay alive."
Because the condition had gone undetected for half a year, Ary’s lungs were filling with blood. The diagnosis was grim, but the referral to GOSH offered a solitary beam of hope: “We can fix it.”
The intervention required complex open-heart surgery. To repair the damage, surgeons used biological "cow’s mesh" to cover the holes, a scaffold that allows natural blood cells to coagulate and eventually seal the gaps with the body’s own tissue. One hole, located precariously near a valve, required the surgeon to delicately cut the valve, fix the hole, and re-stitch the heart.
While the surgery was a triumph of medical science, the recovery was a triumph of human care. Shiva remembers the "new family" she found in the wards during her most difficult days.
"He was obsessed with 'Kingston Town' by UB40," Shiva laughs. "The nurse in the ICU downloaded it on her Spotify and kept the phone next to him constantly just to soothe him. It’s those touches you don’t get anywhere else."
From the hand-knitted blankets gifted by local volunteers to the surgeon who stopped by on his break just to stroke Ary’s head while he slept, GOSH provided a sanctuary that transcended clinical treatment.
Paying it forward
Today, Ary is a thriving ten-year-old who loves sports and is "full of life." Every January 30th, the anniversary of his surgery, the family celebrates "Heart Day." There is cake, there are cards from extended family, and there is a profound pause for gratitude.
The Patels have turned that gratitude into action. Since 2017, they have participated in the GOSH "Race for Kids," bringing more friends and family into the fold each year. For the family, supporting GOSH is not just about gratitude; it’s about ensuring that future generations of children can receive the same world-class care Ary did. "People think GOSH is such a big charity they must have enough funding, but every donation helps preserve the care, infrastructure, and expertise that make this hospital extraordinary," she explains.
For Shiva, engaging the South Asian community is particularly vital. "We are second, third, fourth generation in this country now. Our children need this help too. When you are in that traumatic moment, GOSH lessens the burden by giving you a place to stay, translators, and sensory rooms for your babies."
As Ary stars in the latest GOSH Charity TV advert to help raise awareness of how gifts left in wills can support seriously ill children for generations to come, his mother’s message is clear: the care he received wasn't just a medical procedure; it was a second chance at a century. By leaving a gift in a will or donating today, others can ensure that ten years from now, another mother is sitting down to celebrate her child’s "Heart Day."
To find out more, visit gosh.org/legacy
