Glasgow baby stuns medics with recovery after open-heart surgery

Little Ruby-Lynn McCallum has four serious heart defects rolled into one, known as Tetralogy of Fallot, and spent almost half a day in theatre as skilled surgeons carried out complex repairs to the organ.

The brave 10-month-old has made such a quick recovery that she only spent six days at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital before being allowed home.

Proud Mum Brooke, 20, exclusively told the Glasgow Times: “She’s such a fighter - an absolute wee angel.

“Doctors told me before her op on January 26, that she would be in hospital for a few weeks but she bounced back so quickly that she was home in less than a week.

“She is such a strong little girl, I’m in awe of everything she has coped with and been through. Seeing her after surgery attached to all sorts of tubes was very emotional. She has a scar down her chest where they had to open her up, but she’s making great progress and getting stronger every day.

“I can’t thank her surgeon Dr Peng and cardiologist Dr Hunter enough. "Their wonderful skills saved my daughter’s life.”

Ruby-Lynn after open-heart surgery. (Image: Supplied)

Ruby-Lynn's condition is so uncommon that only 30 surgeries of this type have ever been carried out by the expert medical team. 

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The procedure is not the tot's first brush with trauma after being born weighing just 3lbs 12oz and having to be resuscitated three times after being delivered.

We previously told how Brooke, from Glasgow city centre, discovered at her 20-week scan that her daughter had one kidney and wasn’t growing properly.

Once doctors noticed abnormalities in her baby's heart, she was closely monitored by a team of specialists, meaning her term was fraught with worry.

She said: “When I fell pregnant everything seemed fine - and then at my 20-week scan all of that changed.

“It was absolutely terrifying knowing my daughter would be born with serious health problems and I was constantly stressed about what could happen when she arrived.

“I was having regular scans, around two per week, and just knowing that my baby was being monitored so well gave me comfort. She was small for how far along I was in the pregnancy and they started to suspect something called Edwards' syndrome.

“I was told that most babies born with that don’t make it past the first few hours or days, which was obviously awful to hear. All I could do was hope and pray that she would be okay and I tried to prepare myself for the worst."

Brooke was induced on March 4 last year and was told by medics that if Ruby-Lynn had Edwards' syndrome she would be unable to have heart surgery.

She adds: “It was a case of having to decide what was the fairest thing to do. When she was born she wasn’t breathing. On the third attempt with a breathing tube, she let out a tiny cry and we knew she was going to make it.

“Ruby-Lynn spent weeks in neo-natal care and on the day she was due to be discharged tests showed she was negative for Edwards’ syndrome. It was such a relief but they discovered she had developed a rare chromosome problem that caused her heart defects."

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Now Ruby is recovering well at home and it’s hoped she won't need any further surgery until she reaches her 20s.

Brooke added: “She’s such a happy wee baby and is always smiling. She’s an incredible wee fighter and I know nothing will hold her back in life.

"It has been a really tough time but hopefully we can now watch her grow and thrive knowing that she has a full, normal and happy life ahead of her."