Ria, 14, leads protest march over Leicester's Glenfield Hospital heart unit
A 14-year-old campaigner led a march to save a heart unit that saved her life.
Ria Pahwa, of Rushey Mead, Leicester, was born with such a serious heart condition that doctors told her parents she would be dead within hours.
Experts from the children's heart unit at Glenfield Hospital rushed over to Leicester Royal Infirmary and gave Ria life-saving surgery.
If the children's unit moves to Birmingham, as the Government intends, Ria fears other children like her will die.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Wednesday, May 22 2013
Yesterday, she led a march of more than 70 people along Melton Road in Syston, showing support for the children's unit with T-shirts and placards.
They also organised a petition for shoppers in the town centre to sign.
Ria said: "It's an amazing experience for me and great to see so many people. Everyone is coming together.
"I've had seven big heart operations and for the first one, surgeons from Glenfield treated me just after I was born and saved my life."
Ria became a member of the UK Youth Parliament in March and the heart unit will be her biggest campaign during her two-year term.
She said: "If the Youth Parliament can work together I think the Government will reconsider it."
Meera Popat, 34, of Thurnby, who is Ria's aunt, said she was impressed with her niece's achievement.
She said: "She's done an outstanding job and working really hard to keep the unit open because if it wasn't for the unit she wouldn't be here today.
"We're really pleased with the number of people who have come out and we hope it makes a difference."
Georgina Paulson, 35, of Birstall, took part in the protest with her three young children.
She said: "I'm due to give birth to a boy in two weeks and we know he's got heart problems. He's going to need treatment at Glenfield. It would be a huge problem for me if the unit was in Birmingham.
"I found out about the protest on Facebook. I think Ria's remarkable. She's been through a lot and she's such an educated and well-balanced young lady."
Heather Hewing, 63, of Syston, is a former Glenfield patient and joined the protest.
She said: "The children's unit is second-to-none and it's disgraceful they could close it."
To support the Save Our Heart Unit at Glenfield group on Facebook, search for "Ria Pahwa" on the site.
Leslie Hamilton, deputy chair of the Safe and Sustainable Steering Group, which is recommending the Glenfield unit merges with Birmingham, said: "I recognise people have shown a huge loyalty for the hospital in Leicester but pooling surgical expertise means the clinical community can work together."
Comments
by SBfrustrated
Sunday, August 26 2012, 3:08PM
“By SBfrustrated
Leslie Hamilton has failed to realise that clinical teams have worked together for a long time. They were working together when they first saved this remarkable young person's life, and went from The Glenfield to the Royal Leicester Infirmary, when Ria was a baby. They are already successful! The Glenfield has the only mobile ECMO unit in the country. It's highly skilled with 20 years of experience. It cannot be transferred without putting lives at risk. If it moves there will be a learning period of between 5 and 20 years while the skills are learnt and a new team is formed. That will mean deaths.
You're not alone Leicester! Politicians in the rest of the country are starting to wake up to the danger of this closure and are now asking questions. So sign that petition and keep the protest active!”