Award-winner Rebecca faces up to son’s heart transplant journey

Rebecca with her sons Billy and Tommy

Working full-time, studying part-time for a degree, and looking after a family that includes twin boys, would be more than enough of a challenge for most people.

But when one of your sons is diagnosed with a serious heart condition and you’re told he’ll have to undergo a heart transplant, there’s obviously additional strain.

But Rebecca Manley, 44, who is studying for a degree in Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management at the University of South Wales (USW) after completing a HND in the subject, is taking it all in her stride, and has also just collected an award after being named 2020’s Most Promising Quantity Surveyor by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Wales, which represents civil engineering contracting businesses.

Rebecca’s road to a career in quantity surveying has been anything but straightforward. She worked in a call centre for a gas supplier until her late 20s, then moved into recruitment, and then procurement. When a former colleague told her a job was going at civil engineering and construction firm Alun Griffiths, she applied and was successful.

The role now sees her working on the new South Wales Metro site in Taff’s Well, focusing on the building of the Integrated Control Centre, monitoring costs, and subcontractors.

While working on one of the biggest infrastructure projects in South Wales has presented Rebecca with daily challenges for the past 18 months, it’s nothing when compared to learning one of your sons is living with a serious heart condition.

“We found out in June 2021 that Billy has the condition and he’s now under the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH),” she said.

“After the initial diagnosis, what happens next is very uncertain to be honest. We've been to Great Ormond Street a few times, and we're going back in October for procedures where they'll check his lung capacity and the function. He’ll have an MRI scan and see how his heart and his lungs are functioning.

“From that then they decide, do we get listed for transplant straight away, or do we come back in a year’s time - there's the fine line between having it done now or later, because obviously you don't want him to get ill in the meantime.

“Then it’s about a year on the waiting list. After that he would be on medication for the rest of his life, but it’ll obviously be better quality of life than it is now.

“But I’ve got a good comparison with him being a twin to Tommy. He currently doesn't eat as much as his brother, and he's not as active. He gets very breathless and tired much more easily.”

To help support GOSH, Rebecca last month completed a 2,000-squat challenge, raising £6,000 for the hospital.

Although concentrating on the present, Rebecca is planning to continue her professional development and gain Chartership from her professional body, the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES).

And while the past 18 months hasn’t been ideal, with the pandemic and her son’s condition, Rebecca still finds praise for USW.

~I initially struggled with online learning because I’m more of a people person, and prefer face-to-face interaction,” she said. “But overall I've had a really positive experience.

“Since the diagnosis I’ve had lots of support from the staff at USW, it’s been amazing. They do all they can to help me out, so I can't fault that.”

Rebecca is fundraising for GOSH via Justgiving– more here.