A tiny six-day-old baby underwent life-saving surgery when a nurse spotted a potential problem in her 20-week scan which turned out to be a heart defect.
Natalie Robinson, 32, and Mike, 37, at first were not concerned when the nurse struggled to take clear pictures of her unborn child’s pulmonary arteries.
Doctors ordered a further scan and found the tiny tot had a severe heart defect.
Little Aria was born on June 10, 2022, and was diagnosed with truncus arteriosus – a birth defect of the heart which occurs when the blood vessel coming out of the organ fails to separate completely.
If left untreated, the condition can be fatal so vital surgery was ordered six days after her birth.
Mum Natalie, from Brynamman, Wales, told NeedToKnow.online: “It was gut wrenching.
“We left crying as there was a possibility it would be the last time we would see her.
"It was honestly the hardest thing we have ever had to go through.
"I carried Aria myself to the anaesthetist, where we were then told to give her a kiss and say goodbye.
"Mike and I both decided we didn't want to stay in the hospital so we spent the whole day wandering around Bristol to try and pass the time, but minutes honestly felt like hours.
"We clock-watched all day waiting for the phone call for the outcome of her surgery. We tried to stay as positive as we could but it was extremely difficult.
"I felt like I was prepared for surgery day but words cannot describe the worry we went through."
Aria underwent surgery to fix her heart and had a pulmonary artery corrected and a ventricular septal defect repaired.
She went down at 9am and at 6pm the relieved parents were told the surgery had been successful.
Aria is now 16-weeks-old and, according to her doting mum, is doing "amazing".
Natalie said: "It was so hard to see her with breathing tubes and all sorts of wires attached, but it was just amazing that she managed to pull through the surgery safely.
"She recovered extremely quickly, being out of intensive care less than 48 hours after surgery where she then went back onto dolphin ward to continue getting better each day.
"Six days post-surgery on June 22 we were transferred to Cardiff hospital for the remainder of her recovery. 11 days after surgery, we were allowed to go home."
Aria has check-ups every two months to ensure the conduit is doing its job and her blood is flowing correctly.
The bouncing baby will also need a further two surgeries in the future.
Natalie is looking to raise awareness on heart defects with the hope of helping others going through the situation.
Mike’s mother and sister are also running the Cardiff half marathon to try and help raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
