BRADFORD-based Morrisons Foundation has donated £25,000 to Children’s Heart Surgery Fund to purchase an MRI coil for the Congenital Heart Unit in Leeds Children’s Hospital.

The MRI coil will be used in a closed incubator to take high quality images of babies’ hearts during MRI scans. This will support babies with congenital heart disease and will be the first of its kind in Europe, enabling clinicians to undertake MRI scans of babies’ hearts without the need for general anaesthetic.

Hospital CEO Sharon Milner said: “On behalf of Children’s Heart Surgery Fund I would like to thank Morrisons Foundation for their generous grant for an MRI coil which will be used to take images of babies’ hearts during MRI scans.”

“This coil will help to improve and save the lives of thousands of babies with complex heart defects treated in the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit in Leeds Children’s Hospital. We are extremely grateful to the Trustees for their commitment to improving the health of babies with congenital heart disease in Yorkshire, the Humber and North Lincolnshire.

Dr Malenka Bissell, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Cardiology added, “I would like to say a big thank you to Morrisons Foundation for this MRI coil. It will enable me and my colleagues to continue to perform MRI scans for new-born babies with congenital heart disease, who will still need life saving surgery during the current health crisis.”

“Looking ahead, this coil will be used within a closed incubator for treatment and research that will allow us to perform MRI scans on babies with complex conditions without the need for general anaesthetics, which put their lives at risk. This generous support will make a big difference to the treatment and outcomes for babies categorised as high-risk, and help to make Leeds an outstanding centre of excellence for treatment and research into paediatric congenital heart disease.”

Meanwhile David Scott, Morrisons Foundation Trustee, said, “I’m delighted that we were able to provide this vital support for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. The work they do makes such a huge difference to the lives of children and their families and I’m proud that the Morrisons Foundation has been able to provide this grant.”

The Morrisons Foundation was set up by Morrisons supermarket in 2015 and awards grants for charity projects which help improve people’s lives. Since launching over £29 million has been donated to hundreds of charities across England, Scotland and Wales.