Clydebank tot who underwent heart surgery crosses Kiltwalk finish line

Little Rosie Campbell joined her dad Liam at the Glasgow event as the pair took on the three-mile Wee Wander in aid of ENABLE Scotland.

Liam told the Post that he and Rosie’s mum Kerry were so delighted that she was able to take part and that Rosie got her first medal at just over a year old.

Liam and Kerry Campbell with their daughter Rosie (Image: Liam Campbell)

He said: “Rosie was in her stroller, I think the hardest bit was managing to push it along.

"We only did the Wee Wander because we felt that the bigger one would be a bit too much.

“As we were getting to the end I took her out and carried her across the finish line, she loved it. She was waving and clapping and everybody was waving back at her.

“My wife Kerry was at the finish line waiting for us which was so nice. It made us realise how precious life actually is.

“Just the fact that I was able to do it with Rosie and seeing everyone else doing it with their families. It was good to have her be a part of that.

“The initial plan was to have her walk over the finish line as she has started walking but she was clinging to me like a koala bear.

“We both got medals. Fourteen months old and she’s already got her first medal.”

Rosie and Liam at the finish line (Image: Liam Campbell)

Kerry added: “It was great to see them doing it. She’s doing so well we thought we’d take her along with Liam.”

It was a huge day for both Rosie and her parents after a “traumatic” first few months following her heart diagnosis.

The Parkhall youngster was struggling to put weight on which resulted in her health visitor referring her to the hospital.

Doctors told the first-time parents that Rosie had five holes in her heart as well as a suspected narrowing of the aorta – the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Liam said: “Her health visitor came out quite early on and it wasn’t for our lack of trying but we couldn’t get Rosie to put weight on.

“She was quite grey in colour, they said it was classed as ‘failure to thrive’. The health visitor wasn’t initially going to refer her to the hospital at first but she changed her mind.

“The doctors said there were a couple of signs to suggest Rosie had a heart murmur.

"We went for an ECG the same day and a heart scan and that’s when we were told that Rosie had five holes in her heart.

“She also had a PDA (patent ductus arteriosus) which is an open duct that normally closes within the first week of life.

“There was also a suspected narrowing of the aorta, so there was loads. We were told that the doctors were really concerned and that a feeding tube was to go in to try and increase her weight.

“We got a date for the operation but two weeks before we got a phone call to say there had been a cancellation on the ward and we were asked if we wanted to take that which we did.

“The most incredible part was after the operation the surgeon came in and said ‘I fixed it’. She fixed a wee baby’s heart which is apparently the size of a strawberry.

“It was traumatic, to say the least.”

Now, Rosie who is about to turn fourteen months old is “thriving, growing, and causing havoc”.

Rosie receiving her medal for completing the Wee Wander (Image: Liam Campbell)

Not only that but she and Dad Liam have smashed their initial fundraising target of £500 with nearly triple that amount raised so far.

Liam added: “I always dedicate the Glasgow Kiltwalk to ENABLE Scotland as I work with them.

"We have absolutely smashed the target which is totally unexpected.”

To donate to Liam and Rosie’s fundraiser visit HERE.