The vet parents of a boy who underwent a seven-hour heart operation returned the favour by curing the same condition suffered ― by the surgeon’s pet dog.
Mattia Ferasin, now four, was born with a hole in his heart. One of the cardiac surgeons on the team for his operation – Dr Caner Salih – later revealed his French bulldog Büdu had a similar heart problem.
And when Mattia’s parents Luca and Heidi, both veterinary cardiologists, found out, they offered to treat the pooch themselves. Now, Büdu and Mattia have both made a full recovery – and are the best of friends.
“We are forever indebted to the whole team of doctors who helped Mattia,” said Heidi, 38, from Hampshire. “Without their skill and knowledge of all the staff we are well aware that we wouldn’t have Mattia with us now.
“This is our way of giving something back because no words can ever express the gratitude that we feel.”
Mattia was born at St Thomas Hospital in London with a hole in his heart and a narrow aorta that was limiting the blood supply to the lower half of his body.
The conditions were picked up 20 weeks into his mum Heidi’s pregnancy. Mattia was operated on at the adjoining Evelina London Children’s Hospital when he was six days old, in March 2015.
“When we found out about the heart condition it was really frightening to hear,” said Heidi, who also has a son Dante, seven. “We struggled with the unknown and the uncertainty of it. We knew that when he was born he would have to undergo risky surgery.”
Doctors had warned Luca and Heidi there was a 10% chance of Mattia not surviving the open heart surgery.
The seven-and-a-half hour operation, led by Dr David Anderson, was a success – and Mattia went on to make a full recovery. He spent five days in intensive care.
During Mattia’s treatment, Heidi and Luca became friendly with the medical team. After the op, one of the cardiac surgeons, Dr Caner Salih, told them he had a bulldog, Büdu, who was suffering from a heart murmur. Luca and Heidi invited dog and owner to the surgery to find out what was wrong. Luca discovered Büdu was suffering with one of the same heart defects as Mattia.
Unlike Mattia, Büdu didn’t require surgery and so Luca provided Dr Salih with a number of options on how to care for his dog at home, with regular check-ups.
When the pair returned a year later, Luca was shocked to find Büdu’s hole in his heart closed without surgery.
Mattia and Büdu are now friends for life and have frequently met up for play dates.
Heidi and Luca have already undertaken several fundraising activities to raise money for St Thomas’ Hospital and Evelina London Children’s Hospital. You can help them read their fundraising target here.