The family of heart patient, Zoe Croft, who sadly lost her life on Christmas Eve last year, are backing QEHB Charity’s Christmas Campaign to help bring comfort and support to patients like Zoe, who may have to spend Christmas in hospital.

Zoe, a fun-loving 21 year old from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, fell ill five years ago in 2011, when she was just 16 years old.

Zoe’s mum, Tracey Croft, explained: “She was looking forward to finishing her exams, going to prom and getting on with her future.

“I’ll never forget receiving that phone call which turned our world upside down. What started as breathlessness and sickness actually turned out to be cardiac failure. Zoe was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) where she was put straight into Intensive Care.”

Zoe was diagnosed with dilated Cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart’s ability to pump blood is decreased because the heart’s main pumping chamber is enlarged and weakened, and needed an urgent transplant to save her life.

“Every day we were waiting for a heart felt like an eternity”, Tracey said.

Thankfully a heart was found just five days after Zoe was put on the waiting list.

Tracey said: “When the doctors came to tell us that the transplant had been a success, we were overcome with joy and thankfulness. There were no words to express how lucky and happy we felt.”

The months that followed saw Zoe make a full recovery, as she began to enjoy the things she had missed out on whilst in hospital.

Sadly though, just four and a half years after Zoe’s transplant, and one month after her 21st birthday, Zoe began to experience breathlessness again and was readmitted to QEHB.

“We knew something wasn’t right. After seven weeks of doctors trying everything they possibly could, it became apparent that Zoe’s antibodies were attacking her heart, and nothing could be done to save her.”

Devastatingly, Zoe passed away in the early hours of Christmas Eve 2015 surrounded by her friends and family.

Tracey said: “I know it may not seem like a success story, but we wanted to share Zoe’s journey, because thanks to organ donation and the fantastic work of staff at QEHB, we got to spend four more wonderful years with our amazing Zoe, who was truly loved by so many.”

Now, the brave family are generously backing QEHB Charity’s Christmas Campaign which is raising money to support the thousands of patients and their families who will be in hospital at Christmas.

Tracey explained: “One thing that will never leave me is how brave Zoe was. I am proud to be able to share her story to help other patients and families who may experience illness or loss at Christmas, and I know that if Zoe was here, she would want to do all she could to help others like her, and others like us. Please consider making a donation to QEHB Charity this Christmas, in memory of our beautiful, brave and bubbly Zoe.”

To find out more about QEHB Charity’s Christmas Campaign or to make a donation, please go to qehbchristmas.org or call 0121 371 4852.

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