An Aberdeen boy whose life was saved by a pioneering heart pump is now living with the knowledge that it could kill him.
Seven-year-old Ashton Hutcheson, of Northfield, became the first child in the world to be fitted with a HeartWare machine when he was just three years old.
Expert surgeons from Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital gave him the life-saving technology in a complicated eight-hour operation after he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a rare condition which affects the heart’s ability to pump blood.
But the machine failed last year after it became affected by blood clots in Ashton’s heart.
A team of specialist doctors from the USA were flown over to fix it, but were unable to and decided to turn the machine off instead – finding that his heart was once again able to beat by itself.
The pump should now be removed because it could damage his heart – but the experts have told Ashton’s mum Shanna, 25, that the operation is too risky to carry out, because any sudden movements to the machine could kill him.
So, for now, Ashton and his family must live with the threat of any extreme movement causing him serious problems.
Shanna said: “The pump is heavy and could damage his heart.
“One nasty bump could kill him. He is not allowed on a bouncy castle or to jump on his trampoline.”
The Bramble Brae schoolboy is a big fan of the Dons.
His mum added: “He cannot play football and that was Ashton’s biggest love. He had been having coaching sessions with Aberdeen FC.
“He dreamed of playing for the Dons when he grew up. He used to live for the weekends when he could watch them, but he still manages to be cheerful and smile.”
It is not known if the blood clot in Ashton’s heart will completely dissolve.
His doctors have decided to leave the pump where it is to make it easier to instal a replacement if his heart fails again, but his mum is hoping that a donor heart will become available instead.
She said: “We have to wait until we get rid of this blood clot and then Ashton has to have the right match.
“The organ has to come from someone aged about 10 and they have to share his rare blood group O Rhesus Negative.
“Ashton was at the top of the transplant list for months but other children were getting transplants before him because they found the right match.
“We just have to live in the hope that everything works out for him, but it’s very hard.”