21-02-2025
Parents took son to hospital with infected finger - and found he had heart disease
Parents took their 15-month-old son to York Hospital with an infected finger – and found he had heart disease.
Olivia Abbott and Callum Raywood, from Easingwold, said a nurse told them their son, Zak, had a heart murmur while being checked over at the hospital.
He was later diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD), which covers a range of birth defects that affect the normal way the heart works.
Olivia said the murmur "took us by surprise' as she and Callum were unaware of it.
The murmur was still there a week later, so Zak was referred for an echocardiogram to check his heart.
Olivia said that appointment in June 2023 'would turn our world upside down'.
'The ultrasound tech said that Zak had a large ventricular septal defect (VSD) and a leaking valve, however the specialist wasn't going to be in the hospital for us to speak to until the end of July 2023.
'We nervously awaited this appointment and were told that Zak would need to have open heart surgery in the next six to 12 months to close the VSD.'
Zak whose heart disease was found after his parents took him to hospital with an infected finger (Image: Children's Heart Surgery Fund) Zak, now three, underwent open heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary on January 3, last year.
'I remember the day Zak had his surgery like it was yesterday,' Olivia said.
'I remember waiting around for what felt like a lifetime waiting to hear that he was out of surgery and rushing straight to paediatric intensive care (PICU) as soon as we heard.
'Seeing my little boy with so many wires, tubes and drains coming out of him whilst completely unconscious is an image that will never leave my mind.'
At first there were some complications.
Jack had a collapsed lung during his first night in intensive care.
This was 'incredibly scary', Olivia said, but 'luckily he made a really quick recovery from that'.
'He moved on to high dependency and was showing great signs of improvement and just as we were getting ready to be discharged, Zak became unwell and ended up with an infection which extended our stay in Leeds.'
She said the nine days they spent at the hospital were made 'so much easier' by the 'amazing' staff and support from the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) charity.
Olivia is encouraging people to join CHSF supporters in wearing red this February to raise awareness and money for the charity.
Zak recovering after his open heart surgery (Image: Children's Heart Surgery Fund) 'CHSF were brilliant. From beginning to end they supported us throughout Zak's journey with everything from accommodation to just being a shoulder to cry on,' she said.
Olivia added that the charity 'really helped to provide a comfort and distraction for us' during Zak's time in hospital.
'[CHSF] offered so many encouraging words and really made us feel like we had a listening ear which again, was so comforting during those times.'
Sign up to Wear Red Day at and donate on their Just Giving page at or by texting CHSFWRD (plus any amount up to 20) to 70085.
