The surgery was risky because this was all picked up very late in her life. As you know these are normally picked up at a very early stage of a child's life. With us this was picked up very late and at this stage the whole in her heart was bigger, as it enlarges with time if it is unattended.

Before surgery my daughter struggled to pick up weight. She was a very picky eater and got sick daily. This happened in her sleep as well, as she could not keep meals down especially at night.

 She was a sick child always with chest infections i.e., bad phlegmy coughs. Due to her poor eating habits, she looked much younger than her actual age. She really struggled to gain weight. As her parents, we have just been to so many medical practitioners, i.e., dieticians, every doctor trying to figure out the root cause of her struggles because they've been going on since birth.

Even as an infant she struggled to keep her milk down up to this age. Because this had been going on for some time, her chest was a bit bulgy and now we know it's because her heart was swollen. But after surgery we immediately saw the difference

She had not got sick since; she now asks for food. She is starting to pick up weight and she doesn't get tired easily when playing because it's one of the things we picked up with her.

When she's been running, she would breathe heavily and run out of breath. All this is now all gone. The surgery was scary as you can imagine. When the doctors told us I cried like crazy in their room, but it was all well worth it. Kids recover very well. We were all surprised by her recovery. Her teachers at school are amazed.