'We need a heart for Carter in three days', family's new plea to save son

By Kris Jepson

The parents of baby Carter Cookson have said they may only have three days to find him a heart.

Speaking to ITV News Tyne Tees, Carter's mum Sarah, said "the machine that's keeping him alive" has "run it's course".

Watch @krisjepson's report here:

Carter was born on Boxing Day, but suffered three cardiac arrests hours after his birth.

Since then he has been assisted by a special machine called an "Ecmo", which enables his heart to pump blood around his body.

The Ecmo machine carries with it a high chance of infection or blood clots forming within the circuit, so on a day-to-day basis consultants have to make sure no clots are found in the circuit and the circuit is free of infection.

Carter's parents said due to complications with Carter's connection to the machine, surgeons may be unable to change the Ecmo again if anymore clots form in the circuit, meaning they have a race against time to find a heart.

Carter's parents earlier renewed their appeal, through the Facebook campaign page 'Find a Heart for Carter', for a new heart to be donated so it can be used in a life saving transplant.

The post said:

Experts from NHS Blood and Transplant told ITV News finding a heart donor for babies is extremely difficult.

It was announced earlier this month that proposals for a change in the law on organ donation in England, which will presume consent unless people opt out, is set to be named after a little girl from Devon and a boy who received one of her organs.

Nine-year-old Keira Ball died on 30 July 2017, after suffering head and neck injuries in the crash on the A361 near West Buckland, Devon.

Her organs were donated and she saved the lives of four other children.

Her mum, Loanna Ball, told ITV News the decision to donate was "a beautiful thing" and helped her through the grieving process.