Carter Cookson: Baby boy has 'hours to find a heart' say parents in desperate appeal for donor

"We are helpless right now, it's in the hands of a donor coming forward and donating a heart for my son," Chris Cookson says

Carter Cookson was born prematurely on Boxing Day at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infrimary (PA)

The parents of a baby boy with just “hours” to live are making a desperate appeal for a donor heart to save their son’s life.

Doctors have said a heart transplant is the only hope for Carter Cookson, who was born prematurely on Boxing Day and is being kept alive by a machine which pumps blood around his body.

His parents, Sarah and Chris Cookson, from South Shields have launched an appeal for donors and said any complications would mean “we do not get to take our son home”.

Carter has suffered three cardiac arrests since birth, but surgery in his first week to drain one side of his heart and install a pacemaker was not as successful as hoped.

While the baby is currently on life support, his father Mr Cookson, 40, said in an interview with the BBC: “We’ve got hours, maybe a day, maybe two days”.

“If we were to turn his machine off, he could not survive. We would pretty much lose our son there and then. As parents you have to give your son a fighting chance of survival.”

“We are helpless right now, it’s in the hands of a donor coming forward and donating a heart for my son,” he added.

Mr and Mrs Cookson, lost their first son, Charlie, at the age of two in 2013 after he had battled a mysterious, progressive condition.

They have set up the Charlie Cookson Foundation in a bid to support other families with seriously ill children.

Mrs Cookson, 44, has said in a statement: “We have already lost one son and if we can’t find a donor straight away, we now face the prospect of losing our second beautiful baby boy.

“It’s just the most terrible experience imaginable.

Carter is being kept alive by a machine which pumps blood around his body in place of his heart (PA)

“I just hope there may be some family out there who can identify with our heartbreak and may be able to help.”

Family friend Angela Moore has launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise money in order to support the couple, and has so far raised over £1,800.

She said: “Sarah and Chris are suffering so much pain and heartache at the moment as they watch their new born, second son, Carter John, fight for his life.

“If there are any parents out there grieving the loss of their own child, please consider organ donation so you could possibly save another child’s life.”

Additional reporting by PA