Readers asked to help heart girl

Hereford Times

A regional weekly newspaper has launched a £25,000 bid to fix a nine-year-old girl’s hole-in-the-heart.

The Hereford Times is campaigning to raise the funds to help Ava Bailey, whose parents have been told she needs open-heart surgery.

Media website Hold The Front Page reports that if they are unable to raise the cash, Ava will be put on an 18-month waiting list – facing exhaustion and missed school time due to her condition in the meantime.

The newspaper launched its campaign on its front page (seen here) on June 17.

Ava’s mother Becky Bailey said: “I try to talk to her, and I asked her if she was frightened or worried about anything, and she just said ‘No, they need to fix me now, mummy, so we can have a day out without me getting tired and out of breath’.

“She shouldn’t feel like that at nine.”

John Wilson, the editor of the Hereford Times, said: “It’s awful that a young girl like Ava could miss a precious part of her childhood while she waits for an operation. Eighteen months is a long time when you are nine years old!

“The effects of the pandemic mean many of our readers are facing hardships of their own, but I feel certain of their generosity and willingness to support our Fix Ava’s Heart campaign,” added John.