Family launch appeal to help Hartlepool boy get overdue heart operation

The family of a Hartlepool boy with a congenital heart defect have launched a crowdfunding appeal to try to find a suitable home so he can have a much-needed operation.
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Kalem Pounder, seven, was born with a double inlet left ventricle which means his heart does not pump blood around his body as it should.

He has had two operations since birth and should have had a third by the time he was five.

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But parents Liam Boagey and Kaylee Pounder say it has been delayed by Covid, Kalem’s complex needs, and because their current home is unsuitable for his recovery.

Mum Kaylee Pounder with Kalem, aged seven.Mum Kaylee Pounder with Kalem, aged seven.
Mum Kaylee Pounder with Kalem, aged seven.

The family of six are in a privately-rented house with three bedrooms near the town centre after they were suddenly made homeless late last year.

Due to his heart condition, Kalem cannot manage the stairs as he gets breathless easily and his lips turn blue.

Dad Liam also suffers from the chronic chest condition COPD and Kalem’s disabled sister’s bedroom is so small she has to climb through bunk beds to get in.

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They have launched a GoFundMe appeal to try to find a big enough bungalow due to a lack of disabled social housing in Hartlepool.

The family's four children, Gabriel, 11, Kalem, seven, Charlie, 13, and Arianna, aged nine.The family's four children, Gabriel, 11, Kalem, seven, Charlie, 13, and Arianna, aged nine.
The family's four children, Gabriel, 11, Kalem, seven, Charlie, 13, and Arianna, aged nine.

Mum Kaylee, 37, said of Kalem’s heart condition: "It’s life-limiting and life threatening. He will need a transplant when he is older.

“Our living situation is terrible. The council say it is going to be two to three years before they have any bungalows.

"He does need this next operation badly.”

Kalem requires round-the-clock care because of behavioural problems, cataracts and suspected ADHD and autism, meaning a house with a stairlift would not be suitable.

Kalem is currently overdue for a third heart operation.Kalem is currently overdue for a third heart operation.
Kalem is currently overdue for a third heart operation.
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Arianna, nine, has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects her bones, tendons and growth.

Liam and Kaylee also have daughter Charlie, 13, and son Gabriel, aged 11.

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The family, who have contacted Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer’s office for help, lost most of their belongings when they were suddenly made homeless after the ceiling of their private-rented home in West View started to fall in.

Temporary accommodation offered by Hartlepool Borough Council proved unsuitable and a subsequent investigation upheld a number of the family’s complaints.

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Liam, 34, who suffers from anxiety at their situation, said: “There should be more housing for disabled families. We are in dire need at the moment.”

The council say the family have refused houses that could be modified downstairs for Kalem. But Kaylee says they need to be downstairs with him as Kalem overheats during the night.

A council spokesman commented: “We greatly sympathise with the family’s situation and are doing everything possible to find suitable accommodation for them as a matter of urgency.

“However, they will not consider being rehoused to a property where additional space could be added to suit their needs and only want a three or four-bedroomed bungalow – something which very severely narrows down the options and will likely entail a long wait – a fact which the family are aware of.

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“In the meantime, we are continuing to work with the family and with our housing provider partners to try to find a house which may be suitable, even as an interim measure.”

To support the GoFundMe appeal search for ‘Please help me if you can’ by Kaylee Pounder or click here.