Doctors told me to abort my baby after he was diagnosed with a heart condition when I was 20 weeks pregnant – but next month he’ll start school
A MUM who planned her newborn son's funeral after he was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition when she was 20 weeks pregnant told how he has beaten the odds and will start school next month.
Zack Murphy has undergone four open heart surgeries despite being just four years old.
Mum Aoife, 30, from County Meath, Ireland, was 26 and 20 weeks pregnant when a scan revealed her child had a serious heart defect.
Doctors in London, where she was living at the time, warned Aoife her child could die in the womb and had little chance of surviving after birth.
She was offered a termination, leaving her faced with an agonising decision.
Aoife recalled: “I was devastated. I didn’t know what was wrong, only that if he made it through birth, he would need open heart surgery.”
She decided to continue the pregnancy - but heartbreakingly started to plan his funeral.
She said: “My baby made me want to be a better person.
"If I was going to be the mother of a child I was going to fight for it.”
Aoife moved home to be near to her family in Kells, Co Meath, Northern Ireland,and was put in the care of specialists at the Coombe Hospital.
Now, four years on, Zack is doing well having undergone multiple medical procedures.
This week he will start primary school.
When he was a newborn I had to plan his funeral, something no parent should have to do.
Aoife Murphy
She said: “I can’t believe how incredibly lucky I am to be here with Zack.
"When he was a newborn I had to plan his funeral, something no parent should have to do.
“Sadly we have known a few heart children to pass away so I never ever take a single moment with Zack for granted because I know how ugly his congenital heart defect can be and what it can do.
“I am so proud of him, so happy to see him get to be a ‘normal’ little boy and to be so excited about going to big school.”
And Aoife who lives with partner Nigel, said Zack is excited for his first week of primary school.
She said: “He is the most brave little person I have ever met. It is thanks to the staff at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin that my son is alive.”
Brave Zack had his fourth surgery last year, which saw him given chest drains to help his body clear fluid.
His mum said: “He was in pain but despite all of it, he got up, did his physio and played in the playroom of the heart centre. He is my tough, brave boy.”
Afterwards he was on blood-thinning drug Warfarin for eight months and was in the blood clinic once or twice a week.
But despite all of this, he just wanted to get back to playschool.
Aoife explained: “He couldn’t wait to go back see his friends. He graduated from it at the end of June and he absolutely loved every minute of it.”
What is congenital heart disease?
According to the , congenital heart disease is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the normal way the heart works.
The NHS said: "The term 'congenital' means the condition is present from birth.
"Congenital heart disease is one of the most common types of birth defect, affecting up to 8 in every 1,000 babies born in the UK."
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