Harwich dad tells how family was told their son had two weeks to live

His story since then has been quite remarkable.

The youngster from Harwich was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition where the left ventricle of the heart does not develop properly so is much smaller than usual.

In addition, the main blood vessel which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body is also smaller than usual.

This means during his first hours of life in the Royal Brompton Hospital, Jude’s heart couldn’t pump blood around his young body effectively.

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His family were told there was nothing the doctors could do and that he had a maximum of two weeks to live.

Try telling that to his older brother, Blake, who today is amicably terrorised by the now two-year-old who tries to “beat him up”.

It has been quite some journey for the family, with both parents giving up their jobs to ensure they could put every ounce of strength they had into giving Jude the best hope for life he could possibly wish for.

Young Jude Edwards

And to top it off, dad, Alex, 38, and mum, Emma, 37, married in the hospital to make sure – whatever happened - the four of them could be together to share what should have been the happiest day of their lives.

Alex, a former roofer, said the first few weeks felt like an “out of body experience”.

“When Jude was born we didn’t know anything was wrong,” he said. “Just before we were about to go home, the nurse said she could hear something irregular that she wanted to check out.

“Before we knew it we were on blue lights going full speed from Harwich to Chelsea, where we ended up staying for six months.

“When we arrived we were told there was nothing they could do for him, that he had two weeks to live.”

What followed, however, was three open heart surgeries and a miraculous survival that beat all the odds.

Alex and Emma, who also quit her job as a dental nurse to help care for Jude, would proceed to take it in turns to balance being at the hospital and caring for Blake during what was a “mad time”.

“I didn’t eat for a week,” Alex added. “I still remember the day the surgeons said if nothing works we would have to let him go.

“It was so stressful to the point where it felt like an out of body experience, I was looking at myself thinking ‘What do I do?’ “One day you’re living a nice easy life and then it gets completely turned upside down.”

Jude now has one more defining surgery pencilled in for next summer. If it works he’ll be able to live a normal life; if it doesn’t, he’ll need a heart transplant.

Whatever happens, Alex explains he is the “strongest, most determined boy ever”.

He added: “He’s a little terror now. When he was born the doctors said he wouldn’t have much energy, but now he bowls about causing all sorts of trouble. I can’t believe how lucky we are.

“The Royal Brompton is the only hospital in Europe which keeps the children in for the six months they need it; if Jude hadn’t of got there he would’ve died.

“There’s not a day goes past where I don’t realise how lucky we’ve been.”

Harwich and Dovercourt Cricket Club is hosting a fundraiser for all to enjoy on The Brompton Foundation on Sunday, August 29 from 1pm on Low Road field.

To donate, visit: bit.ly/3m7drzL.