Hero Hartlepool baby goes through an open heart surgery at just five months old

Harri Stevens, 30, and Taylor Lahney, 27, welcomed their son Teddy in October last year and, apart from a minor heart murmur, the little boy appeared to be a perfectly healthy baby.

But 10 days after he was born, he started getting out of breath and was reluctant to feed.

Teddy was taken to Stockton’s University Hospital of North Tees where scans revealed he had a severe and life-threatening case of aortic stenosis caused by an abnormally formed aortic valve.

It meant he had to be rushed in an ambulance to The Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, where he received emergency keyhole surgery to “balloon” his aortic valve at just 11 days old.

Dad Harri has said two surgeons travelled with the family to Newcastle in case Teddy went into heart failure during the journey and had to be operated on in the ambulance.

"We didn’t know that there was anything wrong with him, other than he had a heart murmur, “ said Harri.

"When we got him home, we had a couple of days with him being okay and then, gradually, he was getting breathless.”

Harri, from the West Park area of Hartlepool, added: "It was like getting hit by a bus when we first found out, because as far as we knew, we had this perfectly healthy baby.

"Everything seemed great and then we found out he had this really serious condition.”

Following the first surgery, Teddy spent three days on a ventilator in ICU and a further seven on the hospital ward.

He was also placed on a strict feeding routine to gain as much weight as possible in preparation for his open heart surgery, which took place on March 10.

During surgery earlier this month, his aortic valve was removed and a new one was reconstructed using his pericardium (the lining of his heart).

The procedure is very rare for a baby as small as Teddy and the youngster is due to be moved to the ward after recovering from the successful surgery in intensive care.

Harri, who works as a performance coach, said: "He is going to need more surgery in the years to come, because they’ve put a constructed valve into his heart and eventually he’ll outgrow that.”

It is hoped Teddy will be able to get back home soon and be reunited with big sister Harley, who is two.

Harri said: “He’s always smiling. He’s not shy to let you know how he feels, he gets grumpy sometimes as well, but most of the time he is happy.

"He had a couple of quiet days after his surgery, but he’s definitely back to his smiley self now.”

While being at Teddy’s bedside over the past few months, Harri and Taylor decided to give back and raise money for two charities, The Sick Children’s Trust and the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF).

With help of Teddy’s uncle, Dan Lahney, 25, the couple created a website, called Ted’s Trophies, where people can take part in a number of raffles and win different awards.

To donate, visit tedstrophies.co.uk

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