THIS is the hi-tech scanner which saved Jack Winsor-Ward’s life after he was born with a heart defect.

Jack, now ten weeks old, was born at Colchester General Hospital with his arteries connected the wrong way round. As soon as he was delivered, he started turning blue, leaving doctors frantic to find out what was wrong.

But for the heart scanner, his mum, Kimberley Winsor, would have faced a terrifying time while doctors in the special care baby unit looked for the correct diagnoses.

The scanner uses ultrasound to provide pictures of the heart, allowing doctors instantly to identify heart problems like Jack’s.

Miss Winsor said: “My pregnancy had been completely normal and Jack’s problem hadn’t shown up on any of the scans.

“At first, they thought he was just traumatised from the birth, because he went blue down the centre of his face. Jack was rushed into the special care baby unit, while I stayed on the ward, but at about 1am, someone came to get me.

“They said Jack was really ill and they weren’t sure what was wrong with him. I was worried he wasn’t going to make it.”

Doctors borrowed a heart scanner from the adult cardiac unit, and were then able to see what was wrong. Jack needed surgery to correct the defect, an operation which had to be carried out at the Royal Brompton Hospital, in Chelsea.

Miss Winsor said: “At 4am, they got the surgeon from the Royal Brompton out of bed and down to Colchester to stabilise Jack.

“He was too ill to be moved, so they had to bring the specialist to us.”

Jack did eventually go to London for surgery and his heart is now working normally.

Miss Winsor said: “Jack has gone from strength to strength. The machine saved his life.”

The hospital is now fundraising to buy a dedicated heart scanner for the unit and since May, has raised nearly £15,000 towards its £60,000 cost.

Consultant paediatrician Angela Tillett said having a dedicated scanner would help doctors make fast, more accurate diagnoses.

She said: “In emergencies, particularly with sick babies like Jack, they may need to go to a specialist cardiac centre, but you need to know what the problem is first. That’s why we need a scanner.

“Our adult colleagues are good at helping us by lending their scanner when they can, but it’s often locked away.

“Often, we need access to the machines at night, so having one of our own is very important. If we suspect a baby has a heart problem, having the scanner will mean we can give better reassurance to the parents and a better, faster diagnosis for the baby.

“It’s distressing for the parents and the more we can do to reduce their anxiety, the better.”

Different hospitals specialise in different fields of medicine and making a quick and accurate diagnosis can also mean babies are be sent to the right place with a minimum of stressful travel.

Mrs Tillett added: “Also, we’re trying to achieve level two status as a unit, which will mean we can keep smaller, sicker babies here, instead of transferring them.

“Having a scanner will help us do that.”

The hospital’s children’s services fundraising co-ordinator, Graham Appleton, said response to the appeal for funds had been good.

He added: “We’re hoping to have the money by Christmas.

“It would be a wonderful present for the unit.”