When doctors told Kate Parnaby her unborn son had just half a heart she was faced with an agonising decision. They told her she could terminate the pregnancy, let him die at birth, or try complicated surgery to replumb the heart. The brave mum knew she had to give her son a chance at life, so she told the doctors that she was not prepared to end the pregnancy.
Tiny Carter was born in July 2021.
And now – after two surgeries to replumb his heart – he is thriving at home. Kate, 20, said: “To look at Carter now you would never know he has just half a working heart.
“He’s constantly on the go and full of life. He’s doing so well, I am so proud of him.”
Doctors picked up a problem with Carter’s heart when Kate was just 16 weeks pregnant.
She said: “When I went for a scan the sonographer said she couldn’t find part of the heart.
“I was sent to Durham Hospital and doctors said they couldn’t see it either.
“That’s when they said they thought it was hypoplastic left heart syndrome. I was so shocked – I’d never heard of the condition before.” The syndrome is a birth defect that affects blood flow through the heart, meaning the left side of the heart does not develop properly.
Kate, who lives in Durham, said: “I didn’t know whether Carter would make it, but I knew I had to give him a chance to live, however small it was.”
Just three days after his birth Carter had his first open-heart surgery, called the Norwood Procedure. He had his second surgery in March last year.
Kate said: “He’s made a really good recovery after the second surgery.
“After the operation, he was playing with all the other babies his age in there, and he had a smile for everyone.”
Carter will have his third and final surgery when he is five and may have to have a heart transplant in later life.
Kate said: “I don’t know what the future holds for Carter, but for the moment he’s loving playing with his friends and making the most of life.”
