Lia’s Wings life-saving intervention
- Jan 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 12
Two-year-old Fatima has been living with serious health complications, including complex heart failure. While her family were in Morocco, Fatima suffered a severe cardiac decline that changed everything.
Hear directly from Fatima's dad, Joe, who spoke at our charity's annual Christmas event:
Despite the best efforts of local doctors, the medical care available was not equipped to meet Fatima’s complex needs. Her parents did everything they could to find a way to bring her to Glasgow, Joe’s hometown, for specialist treatment. Sadly, commercial airlines were unable to help because of the risks involved.
Joe shares the desperation of that moment:
“My daughter died in Morocco. She was revived, and then we were told that she needed a transplant, and she couldn't have that in Morocco. I ran around trying to get help, and all I had were closed doors. I didn't have anywhere to go.”
That's when Lia’s Wings stepped in.
Bringing Fatima home
Our team faced numerous challenges, but we were determined to help Fatima and her family. We arranged an air ambulance transfer from Tangier Hospital, Morocco to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where she could receive specialist palliative care to alleviate her suffering and possibly extend her life, whilst she awaited a transplant. This was the most complex and high-risk transfer we have ever undertaken, but our on-site clinical assessment showed that Fatima would not have survived without our intervention.
Joe remembers the moment hope returned:
“I'll never forget the call that I made to Lia’s Wings. As soon as I spoke to them, it was like a rock being lifted off my back and at last I had a little bit of hope that something was going to help me.”
Specialist care at Great Ormond Street Hospital
At the hospital in Glasgow, doctors diagnosed Fatima with cardiomyopathy, a serious disease of the heart muscle, and told her parents that she would need a heart transplant in the future. Here in Glasgow, Fatima was placed on an ECMO machine – this is a temporary intervention which provides life support, allowing the heart and lungs to rest by taking over their function. Due to the severity of her situation, Fatima was later transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), one of only two specialist children’s cardiac units in the UK. There, she was fitted with a Berlin Heart, a mechanical device that supports children with end-stage heart failure while they wait for a transplant.
Keeping the family together
Fatima spent nine months at GOSH supported by the Berlin Heart. Throughout this time, Lia’s Wings continued to stand alongside her family, adapting our support as their needs changed. We even helped reunite the family with their two older children, who had been staying with their grandmother in Morocco. They had been apart for more than three months, which was a painful separation, especially for Fatima’s brother and sister, who were desperate to be reunited with their parents. Reuniting the family eased that strain and allowed them to focus on what mattered most: surrounding Fatima with comfort, love, and reassurance during this critical time.
A miraculous turn
What happened next felt nothing short of miraculous.
“I'm really pleased to say that while she was waiting for her heart transplant, she actually recovered, so she no longer needed a transplant. She was taken off the Berlin heart, and although she suffered three strokes and is paralysed, she’s otherwise back to being herself.”
Fatima has come back to us – she is laughing again, dancing to her favourite songs, and her love of Minnie Mouse has returned in full swing! Finally, after 18 months in hospital, Fatima has been discharged, with close medical care still based at GOSH. Fatima and her family are finally living life outside of the hospital.
Looking to the Future
After many months in hospital, Fatima and her family are now finding their way back to everyday life, learning to adapt together to her new needs. We are so pleased for Fatima and so proud of how the family has faced this challenging journey, and we will continue to support them as they need us.
“We will forever have a place in our hearts for Lia’s Wings and everybody within Lia’s Wings. We're big supporters of Lia’s Wings, and we are forever grateful. We'll never forget what Lia’s Wings has done for us.”
