By Dr Yonni
Nearly three years after becoming the youngest baby in the UK to survive open heart surgery, Fleur returned to Leicester Royal Infirmary with her family to thank Consultant Congenital Heart Surgeon, Ikenna Omeje, the surgeon who saved her life.
Born six weeks early with her twin sister Ottilie, Fleur weighed just 1.8kg when she underwent open heart surgery at only 28 days old, 12 days before her due birth date. After struggling with feeding and breathing, she was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect called total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (TAPVD) and urgently transferred to Leicester Royal Infirmary for life saving surgery.
With less than a 20% chance of survival, Fleur endured a nine hour operation, time on ECMO, and weeks of recovery before finally going home. The family later faced further challenges when both twins became seriously unwell, and Fleur required ECMO for a second time.
Now approaching their third birthday, Fleur and Ottilie returned with parents Joe and Finley to thank Mr Omeje and the teams at Leicester Royal Infirmary, as well as Heart Link charity, whose support made an enormous difference during their long hospital journey.
Their story is a powerful reminder of resilience, expertise, and the compassion behind every act of care.
