An Ipswich baby who was born with a rare heart condition has been given a second chance at life.
Mater Hospital Doctors performed surgery on baby Otis Reeves after it was found he had Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital defect that disrupts blood flow through the heart.
The boy’s condition was detected during a 20-week pregnancy scan at the Mater Centre for Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM), at South Brisbane’s Mater Mothers Hospital.
Parents Emily Dennis, 23, and Ollie Reeves, 26, said Otis is recovering well after undergoing open heart surgery to correct his heart problem.
“The Maternal Fetal Medicine team at Mater were so supportive of us as young parents,” Ms Dennis, of Riverview said.
“We will be forever grateful for their expertise. Left untreated, I’d hate to think what would have happened to Otis.
“To see Otis happy and smiling brings me so much joy”.
Otis’s mother Emily Dennis said unfortunately that this won’t be the last of the surgeries for her son.
“We still have to have another operation, it’s being done at a younger age than they would have liked, he still needs to have his pulmonary valve replaced when he gets older,” she said.
“He’s still got some time, probably a few more surgeries before his condition is better fixed,” Ms Dennis said.
Meanwhile, the Ipswich family has begun a fundraising campaign to help pay for ongoing costs and medical bills.
Young mum Emily Dennis explained that with the surgery that she had to take a lot of time off work to care for Otis.
Ms Dennis also admitted that her partner will also have to have to undergo surgery for similar issues.
To help the family with a donation visit Go Fund Me at https://www.gofundme.com/f/baby-otis-emily-and-ollie?qid=884538fa0fae033aab1155aa3a1586e4
