December 26th 2023.
Sarah Tierney is eternally grateful for the precious days she has with her son, Jake. 22-years-ago, when Jake was born, Sarah was already a mother to her first son, Joseph, who had been born at 31 weeks. Sadly, he passed away shortly after his birth.
Sarah had been born with transposition of the great arteries - a condition where the two main blood vessels in the heart switch positions. She underwent surgery to repair the defect, and for 15 years she was able to lead a normal life until she began to experience breathlessness.
At 18, she fell pregnant with her first son, Joseph. Unfortunately, he was born prematurely and passed away 24 hours later, after contracting group B strep. Despite the devastating loss, Sarah and her now husband, Damon, were determined to have another baby.
Two years later, Sarah fell pregnant again and this time, with a baby boy, Jake. The pregnancy was stressful, especially after the loss of Joseph, and Sarah was put on beta blockers to help with her heart condition. Jake was born at 34 weeks and while he spent a couple of days in hospital, he was a healthy baby boy.
However, by the time he was five, Sarah's health had deteriorated badly. She was put on the heart transplant list and was told she could have weeks to live. Thankfully, Sarah was granted a lifesaving transplant and is now grateful for every day she has.
She explains: "I treat each year like it’s my last, as I was once told it could be.” She continues to have regular checks with Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and is thankful for the miracle her son Jake is.
Sarah Tierney had it all. At 22, she had welcomed her rainbow baby, Jake, into the world, after tragically losing her first son, Joseph, at just 31 weeks. But Sarah had battled health issues since birth, and by the time Jake was five, she was deteriorating "badly".
Her doctors put her on the heart transplant list, warning that she only had "weeks to live". Loved ones came to say their goodbyes and Sarah prepared for what she thought would be the end. But, when it seemed like all hope was lost, she got the news she had been waiting for - a donor had been found! After a successful eight-hour surgery, Sarah was on the road to recovery.
Now, at 36, Sarah is grateful for every day she has with her son. She explains "I treat each year like it's my last, as I was once told it could be". Sarah was born with transposition of the great arteries, a defect in which the two main blood vessels in the heart switch positions. Despite needing multiple surgeries to repair the defect, she led a normal childhood until she was 15.
At 18, Sarah fell pregnant with her first son, Joseph. Sadly, at 31 weeks, she went into premature labor and within 24 hours, Joseph passed away after contracting group B strep. Sarah says "it was one of the worst days of my life".
Two years later, Sarah was pregnant with Jake. Despite being on a beta blocker to strengthen his lungs, Jake was born healthy. Sarah was overjoyed, but continued to experience arrhythmia issues. She had a series of ablations and a pacemaker fitted to try and manage her heart condition, but things kept getting worse.
It was then that Sarah was put on the heart transplant list. After receiving the news she had been waiting for, Sarah underwent a lifesaving surgery and is now healthier than ever. She is dedicated to making each day count and cherishes every moment she has with her miracle son, Jake.
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