Baby Boy Born With 1/2 A Heart Survived A Stroke, 9 Operations And Had To Be Resuscitated 3 Times

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is a rare condition due to which, the left side of the heart is extremely underdeveloped. It can cause a wide array of heart issues and can affect many parts of a person’s cardiovascular system.

This is the story of a newborn baby with the syndrome who beat all odds of survival. His name is Jack Stevens, born in Hartlepool, County Dunham. The baby boy has practically lived most of his life as a newborn in the hospital, going through a number of operations, four of which were open-heart surgeries.

Little Jack even suffered a stroke and was resuscitated three times because of it.

At the age of 15 months he went through the four open-heart operations when he was just a few days old. He underwent nine whole operations and survived despite the odds being heavily stacked against him.

He has made a miraculous recovery and had his feeding tube recently removed, meaning he will be fed naturally from now on and his life will slowly but surely normalize. Now, Jack lives at home with his mother and father who spoke about the whole experience. The dad, Chris Stevens, told interviewers about how proud he feels, as his son has gone through so much for so little time and is still holding his own wonderfully.

The couple said that they had known about the condition before Jack was even born which certainly helped them be prepared for the difficulties that were waiting ahead. The little boy spent five months of his life in the hospital as he was treated by a number of professionals.

He was born 4lbs 4oz (1.92 kg for all of our European readers out there) and the condition and treatment has slowed down Jack’s development. Jack’s parents were struggling to watch their boy surrounded by so many machines keeping him alive but knew that it was all for the best of their little fighter.

Perhaps the most successful procedure applied to conditions like Jack’s is the Norwood procedure. It improves the patient’s blood flow and the little Stevens went through three stages of it.

The first time Jack was allowed to go home was in April of 2016 but had to return to the hospital a few months after, due to suffering a stroke. Several operations later, the boy can finally live his life with his parents.

The couple are eager to witness their baby boy’s first steps and even his very first words.

The parents have been warned that Jack’s condition will never disappear and that he will need a heart-transplant later in life however it is unsure as to when that will happen.

Jack’s future will not be easy in some aspects. He be unable to do any real physical activities which may strain his heart such as running or weight-lifting. He also has to take different medications every single day.

Despite the stress of young Jack’s dangerous condition, Chris and Ashton are feeling more and more relieved and are very proud of their little boy. The child truly is an inspiration for all parents and children going through a tough time.

We wish the family a long and happy life and we hope that Jack continues to be the fighter that he has shown to be.