Freddie Julian, a three-year-old boy from Brecon has had his life saved thanks to a pioneering new ECMO circuit, the first circuit of this type to be used in the whole of the UK.

In June Freddie contracted several viruses including Slapped Cheek Syndrome and Pneumonia, which had attacked his heart. This had caused him to initially have a high temperature. Within a few days he wasn’t eating or drinking, was vomiting and was lethargic. Freddie’s parents Vickie and Steven took him to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil where they were unfortunately told how poorly Freddie was.

The medical teams in Prince Charles Hospital acted fast, arranging the WATCH Team to arrive (which transfers critically ill children between hospitals). They placed Freddie on life support after being defibrillated in theatre. Freddie was then transferred to Bristol Children’s Hospital via the WATCH Team where little Freddie had a temporary pacing wire inserted into his extremely poorly heart to ensure it continued beating.

Freddie’s Mum, Vickie Julian told the Brecon & Radnor Express: “When we arrived at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr they assessed Freddie and explained Freddie was extremely sick and his heart was not functioning. 

“The doctors immediately contacted Noah’s Ark Hospital in Cardiff, however were told that he was too poorly to go there as he needed heart surgery and potentially ECMO equipment that wasn’t available in Cardiff. Therefore, Freddie had to go to Bristol. We were lucky that Bristol Children’s Hospital was able to receive Freddie so quickly.”

Vickie added: “It was all so scary, I kept asking if Freddie was going to be ok, and was just told that ‘he’s going to be with the best team in Wales and the South West.”

“We arrived at Bristol and Freddie immediately had a temporary pacing wire inserted into his poorly heart, which came with its own risks. However over four days he deteriorated so much, even the life support and everything the incredible medical teams in Bristol threw at Freddie to keep him alive sadly just wasn’t enough.

“The doctors and consultants made the decision that Freddie needed to then go onto ECMO. This was terrifying because we had not heard about ECMO before. The medical teams explained all the risks that came with it, but also said it was his last chance. ECMO was the last hope and without it no doubt we would have lost our son.”

ECMO, which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is a type of life support that pumps blood out of the body, removing carbon dioxide, before reintroducing the blood with added oxygen. ECMO is only used for the very sickest cardiac patients, where other treatments are failing.

Freddie was hooked up to the brand new ECMO machine that Bristol Children’s Hospital had just taken delivery of. After five days receiving ECMO support, doctors believed Freddie’s heart had experienced sufficient rest, and they reintroduced the blood in stages back to his heart. Freddie’s blood vessels were reconstructed and Freddie was successfully taken off ECMO but kept on life support for a further period whilst his body fought to continue to get better. 

After a few weeks in PICU in Bristol, Freddie was strong enough to be successfully taken off life support and transferred to HDU in Bristol Children’s Hospital. Soon after, he was transported to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff to carry out his rehabilitation process, to be closer to home and especially his big sister Millie.

Speaking highly of the medical staff at all the hospitals they visited, Vickie said: “We’re now in Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital, Cardiff whilst Freddie is undertaking extensive rehabilitation, to get him back to the little boy, or as close to it as possible, that he was before this nightmare began. 

“He was a healthy three year old boy who exceeded all his developmental milestone before this happened. There was nothing more he enjoyed than racing round on his balance bike and playing with his big sister Millie.

“When he arrived at Cardiff he had no head control and could barely lift his limbs. He has come on leaps and bounds since we have been here. Freddie’s determination has once again shone through, and just last week Freddie had his NG tube out because he’s now eating and drinking so well.

“There was a period of uncertainty whether this would ever be possible, given Freddie had an aversion to anything going near his face, even a spoon a few weeks ago. We think this was from the trauma he experienced whilst being so poorly and having so many tubes and wires around his face and body whilst being on life support.

“He’s also been making massive progress in his walker, as he’s learning to walk again, and the neuro-rehabilitation team here at the hospital have been brilliant with him. He has physiotherapy, occupational therapy, play therapy, speech and language therapy, and music therapy. The Charity Team here are also amazing to Freddie, Millie and us all as a family and have made our long days here a little easier.

“Ronald McDonald House have been so generous, in Cardiff and in Bristol. They have made it possible for our daughter Millie to come and stay with us. She’s now back at school so comes down and stays with us on weekends so we can be together. Without them we wouldn’t be able to have this, as our family has been torn apart by no fault of our own.

“We’re still going to be here for a couple of months so we’re just hoping we can get home for Christmas. Being at home with Freddie would be the best Christmas present we could ever receive, especially all that he’s been through this year. We are so proud of Freddie, his continued fight is contagious, and so is his smile.

“If it wasn’t forECMO no doubt we would have lost him - the machine is incredible. PICU at Bristol Children’s Hospital have named the new ECMO circuit he used 'Freddie' as he’s the first patient to use it. Hopefully 'Freddie' can go on and save more lives, like our little Freddie’s life was.

“All the medical teams in Merthyr, Cardiff and Bristol are just incredible. I can’t sing their praises enough. They’re absolutely amazing considering what they see and they’re so compassionate and kind. in Bristol the PICU medical teams explained everything to us so thoroughly so we knew exactly what was going on with Freddie, and without that pioneering bit of equipment they have, Freddie wouldn’t be here.

“We are just so grateful and thankful that the right decisions were made at the right time in hospital, so our little boy is still with us. He has a long road ahead of him medically, but that’s a drop in the ocean compared to what he’s been through.

“The staff in Merthyr, Cardiff and Bristol Hospitals have been so professional, honest, and kind, both medically and emotionally. The ward he is on in Noah’s Ark Hospital in Cardiff is Freddie’s home at the moment, and I can’t sing the staff here’s praise enough.

“I appreciate at the moment many people don’t have a lot of time for the NHS, but in my view the past three months with that we’ve experienced, they couldn’t have done more for Freddie. We will forever owe them everything for saving our son.”