Campaigning mum returns to Westminster (From Watford Observer)

Alexandra Smith hosts parliamentary reception with MP Mike Penning

12:21pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News By Ben Endley, Senior reporter

A Kings Langley mother who wowed MPs in May with her impassioned speech calling on them to help raise awareness after her daughter’s rare heart condition went undiagnosed for two years has returned to Westminster.

Alexandra Smith, 33, of Ridgeway Close, set out to raise awareness after her four-and-a-half-year-old daughter Georgina was diagnosed with Ebsteins Anomaly in February 2010.

She is now working with the Children’s Heart Federation (CHF) on the Think HEART campaign to improve awareness by supplying leaflets to hospitals and GPs surgeries.

Last Thursday (September 6) a further 18 MPs and representatives of CHF attended a parliamentary reception hosted by Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning and Mrs Smith.

She said: "All the MPs we spoke to said they are going to be writing to the PCT and GP surgeries in their areas.

"Many of them said they couldn’t really understand why there isn’t a leaflet already."

Mr Penning said: "I am delighted to support the Think HEART campaign as it is a fantastic cause.

"I’m helping to spread the message in my constituency to as many parents as possible so that we can increase early detection and make sure that children with heart problems get the correct diagnosis much sooner.

"This campaign can help save lives and reduce stress and suffering for children and their whole family, which is why I’m fully behind the campaign".

CHF is also campaigning for newborn children to undergo routine Pulse Oximetry testing which substantially increases the chances of detecting heart defects at an early stage.

Samantha Johnson, family support manager at CHF said:"The introduction of Pulse Oximetry testing, a simple, quick and cost effective screening method for newborns would help boost detection to over three quarters."