Tiyah Amusa’s life was saved by the expertise at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London – the closest specialist children’s heart centre to Medway. Yet the unit is now threatened with closure as part of NHS cutbacks. Tiyah’s mum Danielle has joined forces with other parents to keep it open. Nicola Jordan reports.

Watching lively Tiyah Amusa clambering on play equipment, she looks a picture of health.

But little more than a year ago, when Tiyah was just seven, she suddenly collapsed with breathing difficulties.

On several occasions mum Danielle rushed her to the accident and emergency department at Medway Maritime Hospital and was told her daughter had contracted swine flu.

It was while Tiyah was in casualty after another attack that a consultant decided to put her on a heart monitor and it transpired that her heart had actually stopped for eight seconds.

Tiyah was immediately transferred to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London and in March last year she was fitted with a pacemaker.

Danielle, 29, said: "Looking back it was absolutely terrifying.

The attacks would last from three minutes to 10 hours. At one point she crashed and the doctor started to record her time of death. I cried out no, no, keep going."

Tiyah, who goes to Glencoe Junior School in Chatham, has to have the pacemaker battery changed every five years, attend check-ups at the Brompton every six months and go to Medway Maritime every six weeks.

Danielle, who also has a a 12-year-old daughter Codie and son Warren, four, said: "They do not have the expertise at Medway, there is no specialist cardio paediatric consultant, which is why we have to go to London.

Ironically when we have been to Great Ormond Street or Evellina [children’s hospital in London] they have sent us back to the Royal Brompton because they can’t deal with Tiyah."

A year after having the pacemaker fitted Tiyah has made a healthy recovery.

The energetic schoolgirl said: "I’m not allowed to do judo or karate, but nothing will change me.

"I look forward to going to the Brompton. I have my own nurse there and I have made lots of friends who also have pacemakers."

Danielle helped to hold a fundraising event at the White Road Community Centre for SOS Brompton campaign where Tiyah sold wristbands to her schoolmates.

Danielle, who lives in Anselm Avenue, said: "Everyone should get behind SOS Brompton. We can’t allow this to happen.

"Without them Tiyah would certainly not be here today."

A review of children’s heart services in England by a joint committee of Primary Care Trusts in February 2011 recommended that cardiac surgery for children at the Royal Brompton should stop.

An appeal against the recommendation was held on March 18 and 19 and a decision is imminent.