Twelve Week Old Sophie Survives Major Heart Surgery

Sophie is a baby born with just half a heart but put up a wholehearted effort to survive major heart surgery and return home.

12-week old- Sophie Maxwell from South Tyneside is a victim of hypoplastic left heart syndrome - a congenital heart condition where the heart’s left ventricle is severely underdeveloped.

Congenital Heart Disease – Septal Defects
Heart diseases that are present at birth are called “ Congenital heart diseases”.

When she was just 5 days old, the baby had to undergo an open heart surgery. Doctors have predicted that she will need two more heart operations and might even need a transplant.

She is now 12 weeks old and is being labeled a brave heart and a fighter by the hospital doctors. She has been allowed to go home for the first time.

Her mother Kerry Anne, 27, said: ‘Despite everything she's been through, she's a really happy little baby. If it wasn't for the tube she still has, you wouldn't know there was anything wrong. I think the oldest living person with Sophie's condition is 21, so that does give us a glimmer of hope that she could live for another 20 years or more, but we're treasuring every moment we've got with her.’

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She added: ‘The surgeon who operated on Sophie said he always thinks, “where there's life, there's hope” and he's right.’

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Present In 1-2% Of General Population
1-2% of the general population has bicuspid aortic valve (BV). It is is the most common congenital valvular abnormality.

Source-Medindia