Parents broke down in tears after their new-born baby required life-saving treatment at a Liverpool Children's Hospital.
When she was five months pregnant, Olena Veitaite and partner Michael Gapski were told their daughter would need surgery to repair her heart after she was diagnosed with a cardiac condition - atrioventricular septal defect.
Pola Gapska was born in June 2021 with Down's syndrome and a hole in her heart and the family was referred to leading charity Rainbow Trust ahead of her surgery at Alder Hey.
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On January 17, when Pola was six-months-old, her operation was scheduled at Alder Hey to repair the hole in her heart.
Scheduled for 9am, the operation was supposed to take six hours and the family "gave her a kiss as she was put to sleep".
Olena, from Blackburn, said: "But by 5pm after hearing nothing we were told the doctor wanted to speak to us.
"The doctor explained the operation had been very complicated and Pola had had difficulty breathing because of pulmonary consolidation, meaning there was some blood in her lungs.
"She had to spend ten days in intensive care, initially with an open chest and on breathing machines. It was incredibly hard.
"On 27 January she opened her eyes. It was amazing and we cried constantly with joy. Gradually she became stronger and the tubes were taken out of her belly and step by step she was getting better."
Since September 2021 the family has been supported by Rainbow Trust Family Support Worker, Brodie Stockwell.
Olena said they "would've gone crazy" without the charity's support from helping with travel to and from the hospital to asking for advice.
She added: "Over time we became more and more comfortable with Brodie and now she feels like a part of the family.
"When we were in hospital Brodie would accompany me on the ward as only one parent was allowed because of Covid-19. I was sleeping at the hospital and only swapping with Michael so that I could eat meals. It was exhausting and having Brodie was such a support."
Finally, on February 3, Pola was allowed home.
Olena said: "As we opened the front door carrying Pola, Michael and I looked at each other and started crying with happiness and relief. We were so thankful that we were coming home with our baby.
"We love Pola so much and throughout it all Michael and I have always tried to keep positive and Brodie has been such a help.”
"For families living in Liverpool with a really ill child, Rainbow Trust’s new Family Support Workers will be such great help. I think any families should not be scared to ask for support, it is not shameful to show that you need extra help.
"For us, Rainbow Trust have given us more strength so we can be strong for our baby."
Rainbow Trust supports families who face the very real possibility that their child might die.
Now, families in Liverpool will be able to access more support thanks to a new service marking the Rainbow Trust’s 35 th anniversary.
With six existing care teams across England, this will be the first time it has had a permanent presence in Liverpool offering support to families living in the city and well as expanding across the North West and into North Wales.
Rainbow Trust Chief Executive Zillah Bingley added: "For several years we have been aware that there are a number of families in desperate need for the type of support Rainbow Trust provides in and around Liverpool.
"Rainbow Trust has supported families attending Alder Hey for treatment, like Pola’s family, but until now we have not been able to fund a new team in the area.
"Thanks to the incredibly generous donation from The Kentown Wizard Foundation this is now a reality. We look forward to working alongside the existing palliative organisations in the region to ensure that our new team can complement the existing support and together make sure that families receive the full care they require."
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