A Bolton mum who was told her baby may not live to the age of five has described her son as a “little fighter”.
Alfie Ganley has already endured two open heart surgeries in his short life – and he’s only five-months-old.
The tot was born with a condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome in late August 2020.
The birth defect means the left side of his heart formed incorrectly during pregnancy.
His mum, Sarah Ganley, only got to hold him for one minute after he was born at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.
He was rushed off to the intensive care unit and put on medicine to keep his arteries open.
The 31-year-old, from Bolton, said she was told about Alfie’s condition while pregnant.
She was given several options – including terminating her pregnancy.
But Sarah chose to keep her baby, a decision she said she is “so glad” she made.
“We’ve been told he might not make it to the age of five,” she told the Manchester Evening News .
“They’re amazing little fighters, I don’t know where they get their strength from.
“He was so tiny and he had this massive thing done to his heart.”
Little Alfie was taken for his first open heart surgery on September 2.
At just a few days old, Alfie had his heart restructured during the Norwood procedure.
The surgery rebuilds part of the heart and redirects the way blood flows.
After around nine hours in theatre, Alfie was then full sedated and ventilated so his body could get used to his new heart.
He had his chest closed a few days after.
Sarah continued: “That day was the longest day of our lives.
“It’s awful – it wasn’t nice seeing your new born with his chest open.
“It wasn’t how I imagined seeing my boy like that so close after being born.
“With his first operation, I think I really struggled with that one. Emotionally, it really got me down.
“I just wasn’t myself at all, I was a completely different person. I didn’t recognise myself.”
Alfie was eventually allowed to return home the day before he turned one-month-old.
He still has a long road ahead of him with more surgeries planned before he turns four-years-old.
Sarah added: “You’re constantly thinking you’re doing it wrong, and I had all this on top of it as well.
“I started blaming myself that he was going through all this pain.
“I always watch these things where people have post-natal depression and I think, how can you get that when you have a gorgeous new baby in front of you?
“Now I totally understand.”
