Parents of heart toddler support recycling initiative

Under the initiative, a number of companies are taking it in turns to donate £1 for every tonne of recycling collected by Bryson Recycling, with the money going to the Children’s Heartbeat Trust.

The charity proved invaluable to Jonny and Linda Crozier after their daughter Laura-Jayne was born with Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD) with a leaking pulmonary valve.

Bryson Recycling collect plastic, glass and paper collected through their weekly kerbside service, and during Recycling week (September 12-18) they are encouraging home owners to recycle even more.

Companies involved in the initiative include Huhtamaki in Lurgan and Cherry Plastics in Dungannon, both of which reprocess materials collected from Bryson Recycling.

The local couple said, “Our world fell apart at our 20 week scan when we found out that our baby had a serious heart defect. Laura-Jayne was born in February 2014 and was soon transferred to the Clark Clinic at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

“Over the following months Laura-Jayne had good days and bad days and we were in constant contact with an expert team of doctors in London. At 16 weeks old, she went for major surgery and it was one of the most difficult days of our life- not knowing what the future would hold.

“Luckily, Laura- Jayne recovered amazingly and apart from her scars you’d never know she suffers from congenital heart disease and has undergone major surgery.

“As a family we can’t thank Children’s Heartbeat Trust enough. They have offered us continuous support, guidance, confidential counselling, family support groups, family fun days out and holiday caravans to enjoy breaks close to home. The charity also holds outstanding fundraising events in which we have benefited from all listed activities, making lifetime friends along the way.”

They added, “Without the help of everyone involved including the medical teams, our little hearty warrior may not be with us today. It’s great to see local businesses coming together to encourage homeowners to recycle. It’s something so simple that can really make a difference to local families like ours.”

The ‘Recycling Rewards’ campaign was launched earlier this year and the money raised will provide a range of products and services for the charity.