TT2 financially support North East families affect by heart problems

The operator of Tyne Tunnels, TT2 is helping North East families affected by heart problems with financial support.

TT2 provided heart charity Red Sky Foundation with a £2,000 donation, which will go towards costs of public transport and parking when visiting their poorly children in hospital.

Red Sky Foundation became a registered charity in March 2020, after being set up by Sergio and Emma Petrucci after their daughter Luna underwent life-saving heart surgery at the Children’s Heart Unit at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.

Sergio vowed that once Luna fully recovered, he would do everything he could to support children’s heart services in the North East.

He and his wife set up the Red Sky Foundation, after looking out at one on the morning of Luna’s operation.

The charity, which was set up in honour of the team at the Freeman Hospital who saved their daughter’s life, has raised over £900,000 which have helped to fund important services and equipment for children’s heart services in the Freeman Hospital, Sunderland’s Royal Hospital and Teesside’s James Cook Hospital.

Red Sky Foundation have also provided over 400 lifesaving defibrillators for public places, and have worked alongside schools and communities to educate the public on the use of them.

Sergio Petrucci, founder of Red Sky Foundation, said: “We are really grateful to TT2 because donations like this help ensure parents who are going through very worrying and stressful times, do not have to worry about the financial burden of being able to be by their child’s bedside, and to boost the funds even further we’re going to match fund TT2’s donation to ensure our partnership means we can be there for parents when they need us most.”

TT2’s Chief Operating Officer, Shaun Simmons, said: “When we heard we could play a part in supporting parents in this position, we were delighted to help.”

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