Jonathan's story

When Sue Pierre’s newborn son stopped breathing just weeks after being born, she feared it would be his last moment. Diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition, baby Jonathan spent nearly three months in intensive care, undergoing two major heart surgeries, before finally making it home just in time for Christmas in 1993.

Sue, now 58, and her late husband John (1963–2021), were just 28 and 30 when Jonathan arrived. At around a week old, they noticed something was wrong. Doctors confirmed he had been born with multiple ventricular septal defects (VSD)—holes in the wall between the lower chambers of his heart—which caused oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix, putting immense strain on his tiny heart and lungs. On top of that, he faced other serious heart complications, leaving his chances of survival at just four out of ten.

The first few months of Jonathan’s life were overwhelming and uncertain, as the young family grappled with the emotional and physical challenges of his condition.

Fast forward 32 years, and Jonathan is now sitting down with Sue in a candid and heartfelt new film to reflect on their journey. They discuss the impact of his condition on his childhood, the hurdles they overcame as a family, and how Jonathan has embraced his scars after being self-conscious of them for many years, but now he’s proud of them.

With emotional depth and an intimate perspective, this story is sure to resonate and touch families, individuals and friends of those affected by heart conditions.