Marla Roberts from Penarth breathed unaided “towards odds” after being born with a uncommon coronary heart defect
When Jess Roberts and her husband Harry went for his or her 20-week being pregnant scan simply earlier than Christmas 2022, they anticipated to see a wholesome child and deliberate to share the gender reveal with household over the vacations. As a substitute, the couple from Penarth have been instructed their unborn daughter had vital coronary heart defects.
“I used to be sporting a Christmas jumper,” Jess remembers. “It in some way made the second really feel much more surreal and heartbreaking.”
With no historical past of coronary heart circumstances in both household, the prognosis got here as a whole shock. Per week later, the foetal cardiology staff on the College Hospital Wales confirmed that their unborn child had tetralogy of fallot (CORR), a fancy congenital coronary heart defect affecting simply 200 to 400 dwell births per million.
There was no household historical past of the situation, which impacts how the center works and the way blood flows by it, and it appeared their unborn child was affected at random, says Jess, who works as a instructor in Cardiff.
When Marla was born at 37 weeks in April 2023 at UHW issues regarded promising. However throughout a routine scan the subsequent day Marla’s heart specialist wasn’t certain how she was respiration unaided.
The tiny new child was moved from Cardiff to Bristol Kids’s Hospital and positioned in intensive care. A CT scan revealed no ducts in her coronary heart — that means she was respiration unaided towards all odds.
“They referred to as her a miracle child,” Jess says. “She shouldn’t have been okay, however she was.”
At simply 19 days previous, Marla underwent her first open-heart surgical procedure. Two days later, as medical doctors ready to take away her ventilator, Marla suffered a pulmonary haemorrhage.
“We have been instructed to go away the ward, the place we needed to wait 25 minutes not figuring out if she’d survived. It was essentially the most traumatic second of our lives.”
Miraculously, Marla pulled by. After six weeks in hospital, she lastly went residence — however life was removed from regular.
In November 2023, Marla turned significantly in poor health with endocarditis, after an an infection within the artificial shunt in her coronary heart. She was hospitalised for six weeks and underwent her second open-heart surgical procedure at eight months previous.
The surgical procedure led to additional issues. Marla couldn’t swallow and required a feeding tube for 2 months.
“That was one of many hardest elements,” Jess says. “Making an attempt to feed her in public whereas she screamed and the milk wouldn’t go down. It was exhausting and isolating.”
In September 2025, Marla had her third open-heart surgical procedure, her fourth process general. “She got here out of hospital on day 4,” her mum says. “It was unbelievable after all the pieces she’s been by.”
Jess mentioned it’s isolating being with individuals who do not perceive and he or she has leaned on the British Coronary heart Basis and household for assist.
“Earlier than Marla, I had no concept this world existed. I didn’t learn about congenital coronary heart defects or the surgical procedures that might save lives. The BHF has funded a lot of the analysis that’s given Marla an opportunity.”
At the moment Jess is again at work as reception class instructor at Springwood Main in Cardiff, Harry is again at work at HMRC and Marla is “filled with power” at nursery and playgroup and looking out ahead to Christmas.
The 2-and-a-half-year-old will quickly must have extra surgical procedure to interchange the substitute principal pulmonary artery she had needed to have from beginning. As she grows she wants new ones to suit her, however Jess says the little lady has taken it in her stride.
“She’s essentially the most lively youngster which we’re actually happy with as a result of we have been instructed she may be torpid. You’d by no means know something is incorrect along with her and he or she’s consistently on the go. She’s into all the pieces and actually curious.”
Marla loves her dolls home, Peppa Pig, Minnie Mouse and Disney and is worked up for Christmas. “She’s cheeky, humorous, and vigorous. We have been instructed she’d be torpid, anxious, perhaps delayed. However she’s essentially the most energetic, assured little lady. She by no means stops. Even medical doctors are amazed.”
Jess says her little lady will want extra surgical procedure as a result of she has a fancy model of her situation. Marla had her principal pulmonary artery changed with an artificial one when she was 19 days previous, then a cow’s one when she was eight months, and now a human one.
The replacements do not develop along with her so have to get replaced as she grows. This final one ought to final for an extended time frame however she is going to want one other.
Jess want to have a sibling for Marla sooner or later. As her situation was random and never inherited she hopes the chance wouldn’t be too nice.
However the emotional toll of the final two years on Jess, her husband, and their wider household has been immense. “We grieved the begin to household life we thought we’d have,” says Jess.
“Our first 12 months was full of nervousness, hospital stays, and fixed monitoring. Each units of grandparents have been with us by each surgical procedure. It’s modified all of us.”
Jess and Harry are sharing their terrifying expertise in assist of the BHF Christmas marketing campaign – A Present That Retains On Dwelling.
Jess is urging folks to donate to lifesaving analysis into heart problems, together with circumstances like tetralogy of fallot, in addition to coronary heart assault and stroke. You possibly can donate by going to bhf.org.uk/christmas.
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