Months-old baby undergoes double heart surgery

The parents of a baby who had open heart surgery while less than two weeks old say they are "proud" of her recovery.

Jemimah-Rose was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where she would remain for two months, after being born with a rare heart condition.

She returned to the children's hospital for a second operation four months after the first, and is now back home in Surrey.

The seven-month-old's father, Samuel, said: "I know we are so proud of how she has just blasted through those two surgeries."

Jemimah-Rose's parents learned that she would be born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome at a routine scan 20 weeks into pregnancy.

The condition means part of the heart and blood vessels develops much smaller than usual, according to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Jemimah-Rose's mother, Montelle, said: "We weren't sure what was going to happen."

An ambulance transferred the seven-month-old to Great Ormond Street children's hospital immediately after she was born.

Montelle was not able to meet her child until she was discharged from the different London hospital where she had given birth, four days earlier.

She said: "Finally getting to hold her for the first time was just a surreal, incredible experience and so emotional."

Martin Kostolny, consultant cardiac surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, says the operation is "one of the most difficult" that his team performs, but that children with the condition would not survive otherwise.

The procedure is "the only thing we can do at the moment other than heart transplantation", he added.

Jemimah-Rose's first operation lasted eight hours and she was sedated for four days afterwards.

It was difficult to "see her be in all that pain", Samuel said.

"She was on so much medication and drugs to sedate her, but we were so proud of how she just kept on, each and every day, developing and recovering really well."

The family was supported during Jemimah-Rose's time in hospital by the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, which funds research, family accommodation and other support for children on the wards.

Jemimah-Rose is expected to undergo a third operation at the age of two.

The family is now looking forward to their first Mother's Day together, nearly a year after first learning about Jemimah-Rose's condition.

According to Montelle, it will be "really emotional" to celebrate at home together.

She said: "She has overcome the worst of it and we know we just have better days ahead."

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