The Difference We Are Making for Tiny Hearts…

Tiny Tickers is the only UK charity working to improve prenatal detection rates of heart conditions in babies. Our work delivers real life-saving results to heart babies, their families, and the health professionals that look after them.

We wanted to share our ‘numbers’ – why we do what we do. We are a tiny charity, but our impact is real. Monitoring our work has its challenges. We never want to get in the way of delivering frontline services and we understand the pressures facing maternity units. Thus we also rely on the words and stories of those we work with: the parents, the midwives, all of those who we aim to help, support and comfort.  

So what have we achieved? Some big numbers from our tiny charity:

• We have sent out 28,459 information packs since 2016. As a result, mums-to-be are more informed about their pregnancy scans; health professionals and new parents know the signs of undetected heart conditions; and people are more aware of just how common and serious heart defects can be. You can order your information pack here or please contact us to request materials for your own GP surgery or nursery.
• We have placed 68 Pulse Oximetry machines throughout the UK since 2016. Placing pulse oximetry machines in hospitals ensures any heart defects are picked up early, and that the baby and family, have access to the life-saving treatment they need before that baby experiences heart failure. We want to place 330 Pulse Oximetry machines across the UK by 2021. You can read more about this exciting project here.
• Our Family Experience and Think Heart videos have been viewed 67,571 times. It is truly devastating for new parents to find out that their baby has heart problems, and the volume of medical information can feel overwhelming. We therefore recognise the need to complement medical material with more practical information and peer-to-peer advice. Our Family Experience films provide parent-to-parent information and guidance to families dealing with a diagnosis of CHD. These support tools connect families to Tiny Tickers’ community of parents, giving them some understanding of the journey ahead. You can view these films here.
• We have now trained 1029 sonographers in the UK since 2016. Tiny Tickers is the sole provider of hands-on, hospital-based cardiac screening training for sonographers throughout the UK. The specialist fetal cardiac training enhances the confidence and skills sonographers need to detect heart defects during pregnancy scans. Jennie, a heart parent said: “We could not have asked for a better experience mainly because the sonographer had been through the Tiny Tickers training so understood the impact of early diagnosis of heart defects and the worries of parents. She was professional and thorough. Thank you Tiny Tickers, you are making a huge difference.” Read more about our 1000th sonographer celebration party here.

And the end result: we know that Tiny Tickers gives tiny hearts a better start. Our impact makes a huge difference to heart babies and their families.

Thank you for helping us do what we do.