Mum shares photo of babies heart to highlight childhood heart disease

Baby Gwendolyn was diagnosed in utero with half a heart, she needed a transplant at just four months old.

*DISTRESSING image below

At just four months old little Gwendolyn received a heart transplant. Gwendolyn received her new heart on September 8th and is recovering beautifully!

Mum Abigail shared recently, “she’s been tolerating everything extremely well. X-ray looked good, blood gases looked even better.

After 18 days I finally got to hold her and she smiled at me. I even got a couple of ‘agah’s out of her.

We still have a while to go but this progress. I can’t thank you all enough.”

Abigail also recently posted a photo of Baby Gwen’s diseased heart to highlight CHD (congenital heart disease) captioned: “Today I was able to hold Gwendolyn’s heart and it was about the size of a strawberry. The heart on the left is a normal 3 month old heart, and the heart on the right is hers. CHD is no joke. So thankful for our donor and their family right now.”

Congenital heart disease is the greatest killer of Australian children under one and every day in Australia eight babies are born with a heart defect.

Sadly, every week four precious lives are lost.

CHD is something very close to my own family, following the birth of our first son we discovered he had a heart condition. Read his story here.

Share your comments below.

Main image via gofundme

17 Comments

- - mom90758 said
  - 06 Oct 2016
    2:48 pm
Half heart! Sigh! Luckily she was able to get a transplant. I wish the little girl a speed recovery!

- - nealsq said
  - 03 Oct 2016
    9:09 pm
beautiful little one

- - mom81879 said
  - 02 Oct 2016
    9:32 am
Such a scarey thing for a new mum to go through and on such a tiny bub. Glad it’s all going so well

- - taynik46 said
  - 02 Oct 2016
    9:23 am
oh how sad, and tough and heartbreaking a journey for this family – thank you for sharing your story with us

- - country chick said
  - 02 Oct 2016
    8:47 am
Poor baby and especially the mother having to watch her child go through this, hope her recovery goes smoothly.

- - Nas01 said
  - 01 Oct 2016
    10:18 pm
Little bubba, wishing her all the best. These powerful images highlight the importance of organ donation.

- - june11 said
  - 01 Oct 2016
    1:26 pm
I am shocked that more of these heart defects are not picked up in scans when they should be. It is sad that we have to remember to ask the questions.
How many precious little lifes are lost because problems are not detected during the 20 week scans??

- - mom164420 said
  - 01 Oct 2016
    10:52 am
Oh this breaks your heart! It’s so awful to think that babies have to go through this and the families as well! Organ donation is such an important thing, it’s awful to have to think about it… It really is! But in your time of sadness you could save another life or another families sadness! I hope everyone considers organ donation, it’s vital! Hopefully we can find cures for these awful diseases in the future

- - mum4107 said
  - 30 Sep 2016
    11:24 pm
Poor little one. I hope he will be ok

- - mom93821 said
  - 30 Sep 2016
    8:04 pm
Wishing this little one all the best for the future.

- - mom101628 said
  - 30 Sep 2016
    4:14 pm
Wishing your little girl a long and happy life to come.

- - mom112217 said
  - 30 Sep 2016
    8:06 am
Wishing Gwendolyn all the best for a healthy future.

- - mom134803 said
  - 30 Sep 2016
    6:56 am
Glad this little life was saved !

- - Rachel Kelleher said
  - 29 Sep 2016
    11:19 pm
How scary! And sad. Beautiful little baby

- - mom160421 said
  - 29 Sep 2016
    10:37 pm
I had no idea heart disease affected so many children.

- - cherz said
  - 29 Sep 2016
    6:41 pm
Sending all my love and healing thoughts to this sweet little poppet.

- - mom64356 said
  - 29 Sep 2016
    6:05 pm
Great way to teach people about CHD, I had no idea that this disease killed so many children!