We’re sure many of you will recognise Denise Kitchiner as one of our cardiologists from Liverpool.  Denise has now retired and has kindly accepted our request to join us as a patron. This is what she says about the Children’s Heart Association.

I trained as a paediatrician in Cape Town and as paediatric cardiologist at the Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital. I worked with children with many different heart conditions and adults with congenital heart disease. Part of my work as a cardiologist was also to scan babies before they were born if there was a risk or suspicion of a heart condition and then discuss with parents what that would mean for a child after birth. Early in my training as a paediatric cardiologist, I came to appreciate the many activities of the Children’s Heart Association in Liverpool and Manchester.

Support which the Association gives to families when their child is diagnosed with a heart problem is invaluable, and it often made my job so much easier. Cardiac Liaison Nurses are important in so many ways and the Association gave enormous practical assistance to develop this role to the vital service it is today. Busy medical staff may not appreciate things that can make life a little easier for families when a child is ill. Parents with firsthand experience are often in the best to bring about changes which can help others with similar concerns.

I am honoured to be asked to be a patron of the Children’s Heart Association which I know is such an important part of the care of heart children and their families.

Denise Kitchiner
MD MA FRCP FRCPCH