Pregnancy with Ronnie was a joyful experience, and his birth filled us with immense happiness as we welcomed him into the world. Throughout his life, Ronnie was a bright, bubbly, and loving child, despite frequent hospital visits and ambulance calls due to what always seemed to be chest infections requiring antibiotics. Even when he wasn’t feeling well, Ronnie’s infectious smile never faded, lighting up our lives every day.

On June 19, 2022, our world was turned upside down. Ronnie had his dinner and went to bed as usual, but later that night, he woke up in distress, his little body turning blue. We immediately called an ambulance, and he was rushed to Margate Hospital. The medical team worked tirelessly to stabilize him but struggled to do so, prompting them to call for a specialist team from London. They arrived as quickly as possible but were hesitant to move Ronnie due to the severe risks involved.

The London team did everything in their power to stabilize Ronnie so he could be transferred for more urgent care. We heard the words "prepare for the worst" many times, but we never believed the worst would actually come. 💔

Ronnie was eventually diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition that severely limits the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. He was transferred to a specialist heart hospital in Chelsea, where he stayed for nine weeks. During this time, after many tests, including a cardiac catheterization, we were told that Ronnie needed a heart transplant and was placed on the transplant list.

Despite the medical team’s best efforts, Ronnie’s condition worsened as he battled infections, which led to several cardiac arrests. We then had a devastating follow-up meeting where we were told that he was no longer on the transplant list and had only a limited time left on life support. Ronnie fought with unimaginable strength, but on August 19, 2022, he could fight no more. We lost our beloved Ronnie, and our hearts were shattered. 💔

The pain of losing Ronnie is indescribable, but we are determined to channel that pain into something meaningful. We are committed to spreading Ronnie’s name, story, and legacy by advocating for all babies to receive thorough heart scans at birth. We believe that if Ronnie’s heart condition had been detected during pregnancy or shortly after birth, he might still be with us today. We are certain of it.

We can’t bear the thought of other families enduring the same heartbreak, and that’s why we fight so hard for this cause. We miss Ronnie terribly, and everything we do is for him. We appreciate any support you can offer to the Baby Ronnie Foundation as we continue our mission in his memory.