Help Raquel’s heart to keep working
Four-year-old Raquel Barnard Stewart needs urgent heart surgery.
She has the face of an angel and is full of life and fun but without an urgent heart operation, Raquel Barnard Stewart’s light will go out.
The four-year-old from Primrose East was born on September 4, 2013, with a congenital heart defect known as Tetrology of Fallot.
The condition involves pulmonary stenosis, ventricular septal defect, dextroposition of the aorta, in which the aortic opening overrides the septum and receives blood from both the right and left ventricles, and right ventricular hypertrophy.
In simpler terms, it changes the normal flow of blood through the heart due to various problems with the heart’s structure.
It is a rare, complex heart defect and needs to be surgically rectified.
Raquel is no stranger to hospitals and heart operations – this will be her fourth surgery in her short lifetime.
She had her first operations at age three, four and six months.
Everything seemed to go fine after that and Raquel was top of her class at pre-school and loved spending time with her friends.
However, that recently changed when she started fainting.
Her parents, Charlene and Wesley, and grandparents, Barry and Sandra Barnard, immediately took her to the hospital.
“A scan was done on her heart and it was discovered that one of the valves is leaking blood,” said Barry.
Charlene said that she needs urgent surgery and the Charlotte Maxeke hospital has put her on a 12 month waiting list, however, her condition is life-threatening.
“We need to raise R650 000 to have the surgery at a private hospital,” Charlene said.
“She is such a happy child, with lots of energy.
“To look at her you wouldn’t think she is sick.”
But now Raquel can’t go to school anymore and she is missing out on learning and socialising with her friends.
“I like drawing pictures for my friends,” Raquel said.
“I also like my sister, Chloë (1), – even though she messes up my room – reading books, cleaning up – I am very quick at doing that – school, making friends and animals, especially horses.”
The family is desperate to raise the funds to help Raquel.
“She knows she is sick and often has pain in her chest,” Charlene said.
“At night I am too scared to sleep and sit next to her bed just in case something happens.”
To raise funds for the surgery, the family is holding a fund-raising event on Saturday (July 1) at the Sunnyridge Primary School sports fields, situated on the corner of Coronation Drive and Bardia Street, Sunnyridge.
The event kicks off at 10am and will run until 3pm.
There will be jumping castles, children’s rides, food and lots of fun for everyone.
For more information, contact Sandra on 071 885 6134.
Then on July 29, Daleen Vorster, from Celebrino EventOvation, will be holding a fund-raiser for Raquel at Laerskool Die President, in Astronomy Road, Fishers’ Hill, from 9am.
There is lots of fun to look forward to with obstacle tracks, food and drinks, a climbing wall, a starship explorer, an inflatable maze, a mechanical surfboard and bull and flea market stalls.
For more information or to book stands or stalls, contact Daleen on 011 679-5699 or 083 960 6870.
If you would like to donate to Raquel’s medical expenses you can donate using the following bank account: Account holder: Raquel Barnard
Account type: Nedbank4me
Account number: 1147918880
Branch code: 192505
The family would appreciate any help they could get.
You can follow Raquel’s journey on Facebook, at Helping Raquel Barnard Stewart.
“She has been through so much and we want her to lead a normal childhood with friends and school,” Charlene said.
Other articles you may be interested in:
Germiston Red Cross reaches out to the destitute
Community opens their hearts to Knysna fire victims
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (journalist) leighh@caxton.co.za or Puleng Sekabate pulengs@caxton.co.za.
Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:
Or add the GCN on WhatsApp 079 406 1181 or BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137) today, to get all the latest news.
Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers Bedfordview Edenvale News, Alberton Record and Kempton Express.
