five-Year-Old Girl Dies After Brave Battle with Congenital Heart Defect
London, UK – Luna Gardner, a five-year-old girl who captivated those around her with her vibrant personality, has tragically died following a long struggle with Hypoplastic left Heart Syndrome (HLHS).Luna passed away on October 4th, just weeks before her sixth birthday on November 5th.
Luna was born with HLHS, a rare and serious condition affecting approximately one in 5,000 newborns, where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. Diagnosed during a 20-week ultrasound, Luna underwent an emergency cesarean section at eight months gestation and subsequently endured multiple life-saving interventions at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. She successfully underwent the Norwood procedure in February 2020 and the Glenn surgery three months later.
Despite the planned final Fontan surgery on September 23rd - an open-heart procedure designed to improve life expectancy for children with HLHS – Luna’s health deteriorated, and she passed away shortly after.
“Luna was a brilliant, attentive and cool girl who laughed at everyone. She was a real audience favorite – as if she was born on stage with a lot of songs she had invented,” remembered family friend Aimee Riddell. Luna was known for her maternal instincts, often caring for her “babies” and excitedly anticipating the arrival of her younger brother in November.
Throughout Luna’s life, her mother, Jess Gardner, dedicated herself fully to her care. Riddell noted, “Jess was all about Luna. As a constant caretaker, she couldn’t let anyone go close to colds as a simple cold would have put too much burden on her heart and taken to hospital.”
Family and friends have established a GoFundMe page to support Jess Gardner as she navigates this devastating loss, raising approximately £6,500 (around $8.1 million) towards a £7,500 goal. “luna was loved by many, but no one is better than her devoted, strong mother, Jess. Now Jess has to cope with the loss of her child while taking the next steps,” said Riddell. “I think collection also shows how many people have been touched by Luna. We will miss you terribly. We are all broken.”
