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AMBASSADOR
It has been an absolute joy and honour to recently present Leighton Leevard with his heart hero pin, along with two other newly appointed child Ambassadors. Heart Kids NZ now has three newly minted ambassadors – a milestone in our charity’s history.
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Leighton, Ryan and Malaika have all demonstrated they are positive role models who will shine the Heart Kids NZ torch brightly, encouraging their fellow heart kid peers to strive high, remain positive and seek resilience in the face of adversity. We look forward to working with our ambassadors as they assume their new roles.
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It is a pleasure to share the heart story of Heart Kids NZ Child Ambassador Leighton Leevard with our heart community.
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Whether he’s drag racing, acting, or inspiring others as a Heart Kids NZ ambassador, Leighton Leevard lives life at full speed.
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“I have always encouraged him to live his life,” says his mum, Roberta. “Kids who grow up with heart conditions know life isn’t guaranteed: you don’t know if tomorrow is going to be given to you.”
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As a baby, Leighton was in and out of hospital, with doctors unable to work out what was wrong with him until, by chance during another episode when he turned blue, a nurse detected a murmur through his back – not through the chest, as is typical. The toddler was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a blood vessel abnormality in which blood can flow from an artery to a vein without passing through the tiny capillaries in-between.
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AVM can occur anywhere in the body, most commonly in the spine or brain. Leighton’s was in his heart, which meant too much blood was flowing to the over-worked organ. Left undiscovered, Leighton’s condition would have taken his life, Roberta learned.
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On 5 June 2012, at just over 2 years old, Leighton had heart surgery. Cardiac surgeons were able to operate via a catheter that ran up through his groin, pushing a coil into the AVM to stem the flow of blood. The procedure was less invasive than open heart surgery, and the following day the toddler was running up and down the corridor. Despite being stitched up and still recovering, he was making the nurses laugh, Roberta said
"It was typical of a child who was always cheerful. He’s always been a happy kid, even when he was sick, he was smiley and happy.”
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Today, Leighton lives a normal life, with annual check-ups monitoring his heart. No one knows what the future holds, so for now, Leighton's living life to the full.
For the 12-year-old, that means developing his acting career (he’s appeared in advertisements as well as a film with Reece Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey) and drag racing. The high-octane sport is in his blood: Roberta, who has worked on racing bikes in the past, raced a streetcar until early in her pregnancy.
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“He’s always loved racing; he grew up in the racing environment," Roberta says. "There was always someone saying, ‘hey, come pick up a spanner and give me a hand.”
And he’s talented, making it to his second final last season, and finishing in fifth place overall out of 29 racers for the local series, and 13th out of 42 for the national series.
“He knows all the cars, all the people,” Roberta says. “For a 12-year-old he’s a wealth of knowledge.”
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The tight-knit racing community is an extended family for Leighton, Roberta says.
“The guys are really supportive of him, they made Leighton feel welcome and included.”
However, the care shown to her son is a reflection of what he puts out into the world, Roberta said.
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"If he wasn’t a nice kid there wouldn’t be so many people going out of their way to help him. He gives to others, he puts other people before himself.”
Leighton’s early experiences have informed his character, Roberta says.
“When you go through health issues you appreciate and understand the value of life, it can give you meaning and purpose.”
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It’s changed Roberta, too, who has raised Leighton on her own.
“Going through the surgery stuff alone as a single mum, a young mum, that had its ups and downs," she said. "It’s hard having to give your child to strangers (surgeons) and trust they will save his life, and not have a second person to reassure you in that moment that they are the best strangers in the world."
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“It’s shaped me and changed me, it’s something that will always stick with me.”
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Everywhere Leighton goes, he attracts a crowd of younger children, making him a natural fit for his Heart Kids NZ ambassador role, Roberta says.
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“He’ll help other heart kids know their conditions aren’t their limitations. Not everyone can go out and drag race, but they might play chess, rugby - whatever their thing is, go and live that and do that.”