Brave baby survives open-heart surgery at 1-week old

Parents of this newborn baby were devastated when doctors told them their 1-week old son had four congenital heart problems and needed surgery. (© Aimee Roberts / SWNS)

The worst fear came true for young parents who were told their one-week son had to have open-heart surgery.

First-time mother Aimee Roberts was devastated when doctors said her premature son Leo had four congenital heart problems.

"Nothing can make you surrender more than having to give your child to a surgeon when there’s a chance of death. I have never cried so much," said mother Aimee Roberts. (© Aimee Roberts / SWNS)

"It was awful. As soon as I found out I was hysterical," the 25-year-old mother from England told SWNS. "I didn't stop crying for weeks," said Aimee, who lives with her partner Alex.

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"We learned all about echocardiograms, ECG’s, monitors, blood tests, diagrams, risks and odds.

The British couple were grateful to the doctors and nurses at St. Michael's Hospital, in Bristol, England for saving their newborn son's life. (© Aimee Roberts / SWNS)

"Nothing can make you surrender more than having to give your child to a surgeon when there’s a chance of death. I have never cried so much."

The newborn was diagnosed with coarctation (narrowing) of the aortic arch, Patent Ductus Arteriosus (abnormal blood flow between the heart's arteries), multiple holes in the heart and Bicuspid Aortic Valve (two heart valves instead of three).

Since he was born a week prematurely, doctors had to wait seven days until he was the correct weight to operate on. Aimee said that if they had waited any longer, he could have died.

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"It was a complete blur when they were telling us the risks, death was an option. Along with paralysis, infection, damage to spinal cord, stroke and internal bleeding."

Leo's surgery was a success, but Aimee recalls going in to see him for the first time after surgery.

She said, "His eyes were puffy. He wasn’t alert. Covered in wires with a machine breathing for him. He was being pumped with medication."

The couple is grateful to the team of doctors and nurses who saved Leo's life at Bristol Children's Hospital.

"He still has two heart conditions, which we have a review for at the end of February. He's still not perfect, but he’s doing really well," Aimee said.