Chanel’s Cause

Chanel’s cause is a campaign started by 7 year old Chanel Murrish and her parents, along with her two brothers, Chase and Cole in 2014. The aim is to provide children and their families with gifts, hampers and character visits who are spending Christmas in Hospital each year. Chanel was diagnosed antenatally with a rare heart condition known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with an Intact Atrial Septum. The condition means Chanel needed four stage open heart surgeries to survive and eventually a heart transplant. Her first surgery was preformed at Newcastle Freeman Hospital at birth making Chanel the Worlds Youngest Ever Open Heart Surgery Patient. This pioneering surgery entered Chanel and her incredible team into the Guinness World Records and The British Medical Journal, helping pave the way for others born after her with the same condition. Spending lots of time in hospital over the years, this is the families small way of trying to give back. Each year gifts and hampers are given out to Ward 23, HDU and PICU at The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle on Christmas Eve usually with the help of magical mascots. Most of the patients on these wards are affected by Congenital Heart Defects. They are typically long term patients undergoing major open heart surgeries or awaiting heart transplants. As the Hospital is only one of two paediatric transplant units in the UK many of the patients are from all across the UK and some many miles from home. This also brings a financial burden on some families and means many families could also be living separated. We are sure you will agree thats why this campaign is so special to us and we hope to continue to provide some Christmas magic to the ward on Christmas Eve for as many years as we can with your help. www.facebook.com/ChanelMurrish