It was an additional particular first Christmas for one little warrior in North Lanarkshire this week.
The household of eight-month-old Elyssia Mariel Baillie have been by means of a rollercoaster of feelings this 12 months since her arrival in April.
A few weeks after her delivery it was found that Elyssia had an issue together with her coronary heart.
Docs found she had been born with a gap in her coronary heart, after which in September they found a second. She underwent surgical procedure a short while later to restore the situation, often known as Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD).
It’s secure to say that little Elyssia’s mum and pop Kerry Holmes and Craig Baillie have been by means of the mill since her delivery.
They first realised one thing was incorrect when Elyssia was admitted to Ward 19 at College Hospital Wishaw for an contaminated toe at two weeks outdated.
Kerry defined: “We needed to take her right down to the hospital so she might be placed on IV antibiotics as a result of she was too small for oral ones. She was so small they have been fearful concerning the an infection. One of many medical doctors requested, ‘Are you aware she has a coronary heart murmur?’.
“I requested what that meant and so they defined it after which completed an echocardiogram which found a VSD – a gap in her coronary heart. They informed us what to look out for and we went on to the British Coronary heart Basis web site and examine it there, it was worrying.”
Mum-of-three, Kerry quickly seen signs associated to the situation with the tot tiring simply, sweating when feeding, and having problem respiration. Elyssia was additionally tongue tied which had an impression on her feeding.
Elyssia’s situation made her extra prone to viruses and he or she ended up again in hospital throughout the summer time.
“She contracted Covid and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) on the similar time and was fairly unhealthy,” mentioned Kerry. “She wasn’t in a position to eat and needed to be tube fed, her coronary heart price was over 240bpm.”
In September Elyssia’s well being deteriorated once more. Her coronary heart was racing and beneath intense pressure because it was having to work so laborious.
“She wasn’t feeding once more and I assumed she might have it once more but it surely was her coronary heart that had began to fail,” Kerry mentioned. “She was admitted once more to Ward 19.”
The next day she was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Youngsters the place it was found that Elyssia had a second gap in her coronary heart.
Throughout the week she was scheduled for surgical procedure, on October 19.
Kerry, 32, and Craig, 40, admit it was each the worst and greatest day for them as mother and father, not realizing how it will go.
The surgeon who carried out the succesful operation referred to as them as quickly as Elyssia was out of surgical procedure.
“He promised he would cellphone us as quickly as she was out of surgical procedure. One of many first issues he mentioned was that her coronary heart was significantly sicker than that they had anticipated.
"That they had informed us that she would want the surgical procedure inside weeks and that if she didn’t then the guts then damages the lungs, and it may be irreparable.
"The nice factor is that the situation is among the commonest in infants. They informed us initially that in the event that they couldn’t repair it then she’d want a pacemaker for all times.
"Elyssia is on remedy now as a result of her coronary heart is used to working a sure approach and is now having to regulate, though her coronary heart price continues to be excessive.”
Elyssia loved her first Christmas Day at residence together with her older brothers nine-year-old Ethan, and two-year-old Eli.
“We’re now two months post-surgery and searching ahead to the long run,” added Kerry. “We’re doing the most effective we will to have the most effective Christmas with our little coronary heart warrior and her two brothers, who additionally coped very nicely with what has been a really troublesome 12 months.
“Elyssia will hopefully stay a standard life now.”
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