#55 Finn’s Story, Heart Surgery and Sibling Grief with Claire Cassidy

This week, I talk to Claire Cassidy about her son, Finn, who lost his fight for life after 34 days. Finn was diagnosed with three congenital heart defects and underwent multiple surgeries before he sadly passed away. We chat about Finn, Claire’s grief and the impact on her older son, Lucas, who wasn’t allowed into the hospital to see his brother due to Covid-19 regulations.

In the interview, we talk about:

• Realising Finn wasn’t well, being rushed to the NICU then transferred to Glasgow Children’s Hospital (6:56)
• Receiving a diagnosis of three heart conditions and watching Finn undergo two open-heart surgeries (14:26)
• Finding out there had been catastrophic complications during further surgery and holding Finn while he passed away (20:13)
• Why Lucas wasn’t able to see his baby brother in hospital and how that impacted his grief (29:27)
• Claire’s experience of grief and a bereaved mother’s guilt (34:45)
• What Finn has taught her about life and celebrating his memory (37:56)

You can connect with Claire on Instagram @clairecassidy96. Claire and Mark received support from two charities who they’re now fundraising for: Brightest Star and The Zak Braveheart Foundation.

If you have any feedback on the show, suggestions for guests or would like to share your story, you can connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/footprintsonourhearts/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/skyesfootprints) or email alison@footprintsonourhearts.com. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating or review on your podcast app! You can support the show on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/footprintsonourhearts

Thanks to Izzy Syme for editing and producing this episode.