Parents of children with congenital heart disease

Interview 02: We were just totally devastated and our first thought was that that would be the end of it, we'd have to have a termination. We wouldn't be able to carry on with the pregnancy.

Interview 04: Alex was born due to a normal delivery. She was a normal weight  and she was, to all intents and purposes, normal. She fed well and put on weight for the first 2 or 3 weeks of life. And then she started to have problems feeding. I was breastfeeding at the time, and I knew that there was something wrong.

Interview 26: I suppose initially, your first reaction is why, why us, why my daughter? That, you know, I think that's a reaction that most people would have. You know why did it happen to us, you know? And then I think you have to get over that feelings. And we went through many things. It was just-, I think it was shock. I think we were in so much shock to start with. And we couldn't stop crying. None of us could stop crying. And I think we were trying to put on a brave face for the children my husband and I. And try not to show them too much, but it was just such an emotional time, you know,  and it was-, it was just so hard to do that.

Interview 31: It is a very frightening thing this on the outside, it is definitely very frightening. I don't suppose there would be a parent who would not be overwhelmed by the magnitude of all these things. It is very frightening. But technology is advanced, technology is quite far advanced.

Interview 05: You know, I've got a really good life now. I love my life and I live my life to the full and so do my children. And part of that is having to go to the hospital and having to go and see professionals and having to do all the things that we have to do with Jo. So it hasn't really hindered my life that much.