Hearing the gentle beating of your child’s heart is precious for every mum. But when Amy Anderson listens to her daughter Mia Hicks’ heart beating in another little girl’s chest it feels simply incredible. Smiling, thoughtfully, Amy, 35, says: “It was just so special.”.
Seeing Amy with Becci Westwood, 41, and her charming daughter Grace, five, together on a chilly winter’s day, they look like a happy extended family, enjoying a stroll together in the park. In fact, the story behind this little gathering - which sees them joined by Amy’s son, Mason, nine, and Becci’s son, Josh, eight - is very far from every day.
For Grace Westwood is being kept alive by Amy’s daughter’s heart. Their pre-Christmas get together on December 14 - the second time Amy has met Grace, but the first time they have gone public - is made all the more special as the little girl has brought a belated gift to mark what would have been Mia Hicks’ 13th birthday on October 22.
Turning to Amy, she beams, as she hands her a bronze medal she won for cup stacking at the British Transplant Games. It is something her mum, Becci, and dad, Darren, 40, regard as nothing short of a miracle. Shaking her head in astonishment, Becci says: “Grace couldn’t even have a bath before her transplant.”.
As Grace leaps around in the park with the two boys, her blonde hair catching the winter sunlight, Amy’s quiet delight is clear. “It’s lovely to see how happy Grace and her family are thanks to Mia, after they waited so long and have been through so much,” says the mum from Witham, near Chelmsford, Essex. “Watching Grace play and knowing that Mia’s heart went to such a lovely little girl makes it extra special.”.
