A LITTLE girl from Basingstoke who suffered a heart attack when she was just 14 hours old was the inspiration behind a charity tea party.

Kitty May was not even a day old when she had a cardiac arrest, and was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Southampton hospital.

Kitty’s illness was caused by a rare condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension, which occurs when a new-born baby’s circulation system does not adapt to breathing outside the womb.

Her parents, Darren and Nikki May, were given the devastating news that Kitty might not survive the journey, and the couple prepared for the worst.

But miraculously, after five days in the PICU, Kitty began to show signs of improvement and was transferred to the neonatal unit at Basingstoke hospital, in Aldermaston Road, where she stayed for eight days, before being taken home at two weeks old.

Her family, from Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, were told that her stay in hospital would have cost around £21,500 for the five days, and they have since vowed to raise that money to pay back the hospital for saving their daughter’s life.

A tea party was held at Viables Craft Centre where around 100 people enjoyed food and games throughout the day.

Nikki, 39, said: “My eldest daughter Keely who is 11 wanted to raise money for the Friends of PICU because they are very close to our hearts.

“We didn’t want to jump out of a plane or do a bungee jump, so we decided to have a tea party.

“First of all it was going to be held in our garden and then it grew and grew.”

More than £3,000 was raised on the day, which will add to the £13,500 already generated by Darren over the years, who is now a trustee of the Friends of PICU.

Nikki said she was delighted with the total figure, adding: “It’s amazing. My target was £300.”