At her 16-week scan, docs gave Zofia Fenrych heartbreaking information.
Her unborn baby had a severe coronary heart defect, and the recommendation was to terminate the being pregnant.
However Zofia, 41, and her accomplice, Rob, 50, determined this wasn’t an possibility for them.
As a substitute, their little woman, Dorothea was born in June 2022, and she or he started an epic battle for survival.
Regardless of enduring coronary heart surgical procedure – and a cardiac arrest that lasted for over an hour – the now four-month-old survived towards the chances.
‘She fought so exhausting to be right here with us and wish to present folks to by no means hand over,’ mentioned proud mum, Zofia.
Zofia and Rob, from Sussex, who have already got two-year-old Bathsheba collectively, had been overjoyed to search out out they had been anticipating their second baby in October 2021.
However the couple’s pleasure turned to dismay when a 16-week scan revealed their daughter had hypoplastic left coronary heart syndrome (HLHS) – the place the left facet of the organ is chronically undeveloped.
Rob mentioned: ‘I had a dream we had been having a child woman and purchased the being pregnant take a look at for Zofia – we had been so excited.’
Zofia, a homeopath, added: ‘However docs strongly urged us to terminate the being pregnant as a result of her defect was horrible.
‘But it surely was by no means an possibility for us – we fell in love together with her and couldn’t hand over on her.’
The doting pair had been decided to see the being pregnant by means of and started trying into therapy choices.
They spoke with a specialist foetal heart specialist who mentioned their child’s coronary heart might be rebuilt when she was three days outdated.
However one other blow was dealt when the 24-week scan revealed Dorothea additionally had a blockage in her coronary heart.
The one possibility was to bear an in-vitro operation that might improve her probabilities of survival from 5 % to 87%.
The pair set to work fundraising for the surgical procedure – which was solely obtainable in Texas, USA and value £2.5 million – however had been unable to boost the large sum of money.
So, at 29 weeks alongside, they had been determined to search out various therapy.
That’s when Rob, a former U.S. serviceman, contacted Royal Brompton Hospital – the UK’s largest coronary heart and lung specialist medical centre – who agreed to function on their child when she arrived.
Rob mentioned: ‘It was probably the most difficult case that they had ever seen.
‘However mentioned they'd give it a go and we remained hopeful.’
Child Dorothea arrived on June 7, 2022, and Rob says the surgical procedure to reconstruct her coronary heart practically didn’t go forward as a result of she had ‘no probability of survival’.
Rob defined: ‘The night time earlier than surgical procedure, we had been advised the docs had been cancelling the op as a result of she wouldn’t survive.
‘The matron mentioned she would have organ failure and be mind lifeless, however we begged them to go for it.’
Lastly at seven days outdated, tiny Dorothea was taken into theatre.
Rob mentioned: ‘We managed to get the hospital to overturn the choice, and we prayed she would pull by means of.’
Dorothea spent 11-hours in surgical procedure as docs ‘re-wired’ the veins and arteries to operate from the suitable facet of her coronary heart.
To everybody’s delight the operation was successful however hours after returning to the ward, she suffered a cardiac arrest.
Zofia mentioned: ‘Medical doctors got here flooding in and attempting to convey her again.
‘They had been doing CPR for over an hour.
‘It was terrifying however one way or the other she clung on, they usually managed to convey her again.’
Dorothea spent the following six weeks in intensive care together with her chest cavity open and hooked-up to a ECMO machine – which works like and synthetic coronary heart to pump blood across the physique.
Regardless of all the chances stacked towards her, she grew robust sufficient to maneuver to a daily ward and are available off the ventilator on twenty sixth August 2022.
She might want to bear one other operation on her coronary heart at six months outdated which Zofia and Rob are at the moment fundraising for, however they’re eager for Dorothea’s future.
Rob mentioned: ‘She seems like a wholesome child, and we are able to’t imagine how far she’s come.
‘No physician or nurse can imagine their eyes once they see her.
‘Royal Brompton did what no different hospital dared and we’re endlessly grateful.
‘We have now probably the most superb little woman who is flourishing – she’s our miracle.’
Zofia added: ‘Seeing her right here and thriving has made all of it value it.
Rob mentioned: ‘We actually respect what we've and are so grateful to everybody right here – the docs and nurses have been so variety to us.
‘Dr. Guido Michielon who operated on her was an absolute angel who has saved so many youngsters’s lives.
‘We by no means misplaced hope and by no means misplaced religion and it reveals the ability of affection.’
Post a Comment