“Super Ted” - The baby who has almost died three times and fought back

November 23, 2009 by Baby Chums
Filed under: Baby Health, News

Ted Parks, a baby just five months old and fighting for life has returned from the brink of death three times after his heart stopped. Nurses have been in awe of his fight for survival and dubbed the baby, “Super Ted”.

"Super Ted" with father Stephen. Copyright North News and Pictures Ltd.

Super Ted suffers from a variation of a condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. An extremely rare condition of the heart that causes an irregular heart-beat that cannot be stablised by drugs or with a pacemaker.

Kay Husband and Stephen Parks, his parents, are desperate to find an organ donor for their baby boy.

“Our baby needs a new heart.” said mother Kay, 34, as she reaches out for help though the media, “We need the world to know.”

She continued saying: “He might need a heart transplant, but to us he’s got the heart of a lion.

“He still has such a long way to go, but if he can get a new heart, he has a chance.”

Super Ted was admitted to Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, for treatment just weeks after his birth in June when he collapsed at the family home.

Kay said: “He started to whimper and he turned this horrible pink colour. There was no movement or sound from him. I couldn’t tell if he was breathing.

“It was terrifying. I thought he was going to die in front of me and there was nothing I could do.”

Just ten days after being placed on a life-support machine, Super Ted had to be resuscitated for a third time, astonishing doctors by pulling through again.

Father Stephen, 34, said: ‘When we were allowed to see him, it was such a shock.’

This week, the brave baby smiled for the first time since the start of his ordeal.