THE parents of a baby girl who faced a heart transplant have told of their amazement after her heart healed by itself.
Scarlett Ungurs became desperately ill when a virus struck when she was six months old and left her with dilated cardiomyopathy – an enlarged heart.
She was placed at the top of the emergency heart transplant list for the country and on August 17 this year, she suffered a cardiac arrest.
Surgeons carried out a seven-hour operation to put her on a Berlin Heart just days after her heart attack.
Scarlett, of Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, was hooked up to the “artificial heart” which helped the left side of her heart pump blood around her body. But, amazingly, her heart began to heal by itself as the life-saving equipment took the strain.
Doctors believe that Scarlett, now 11 months old, is one of just 20 children in the world who have seen their heart recover after the critical care. Her parents had been told to expect the worst before her miracle recovery.
Scarlett’s father Darren, who was forced to leave his telemarketing job during Scarlett’s treatment, said: “She’s our warrior. She’s been through so much in her short life and she keeps battling back. She wouldn’t give up and she’s incredible.”
Darren, 31, and his partner, Ashleigh Leybourne, had were working in Tenerife when they discovered Ashleigh was pregnant. They returned to the UK and Scarlett was born on December 4.
In July she was admitted to hospital after doctors diagnosed her with cardiomyopathy. She was placed on life-saving medication before the couple received a call on August 17 to be told their daughter’s health had deteriorated.
Five days later she suffered a heart attack and was put on the Berlin Heart and placed on the transplant list.
But after spending six weeks in the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital, her heart began to heal on its own and doctors carried out a “stress test” to ensure her heart was strong enough. They then carried out a second seven-hour operation to remove the artificial heart.
Her mother Ashleigh, 26, a receptionist, said: “We feel so lucky, we’ve got a lot to thank him for. Because the condition is so rare we were a bit scared. I didn’t think she would get through it.
“But then she went on the heart machine and her heart started to mend itself.”
