A proud mum has hailed her ‘cheeky’ little boy as a ‘miracle’ after he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition just weeks after birth.
Carter Davidson was just 13 days old when he suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to undergo lifesaving surgery.
Following the terrifying ordeal, Sheree Davidson, 30 received the devastating news that her baby boy had a rare heart condition called Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (TAPVD) which sees the veins from the lungs connect to the wrong part of the heart, making it difficult for the body to get enough oxygen.
Recalling the first days of Carter’s life, Sheree, a student from Kirkcaldy said: “Carter was in the special care baby unit in the days after he was born. During checks to make sure Carter was ok to come home, they noticed his oxygen was low. After numerous tests, antibiotics, scans and referrals he was deemed as ‘unusual’ which means they couldn’t pin point what was wrong with him.
“He looked like he was getting better in the first week, it looked really positive to begin with, but then he began to decline and needed more help. He was on the highest oxygen they could give him, but they were still unsure what was wrong. I was pleading with them to help. He then went into cardiac arrest and was rushed from Kirkcaldy Hospital to Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) for further treatment.”
TAPVD can often be hard to detect, while some babies have severe symptoms at birth, milder cases can sometimes be mistaken for other heart or lung problems. Early detection of the disease is crucial and if untreated can be life threatening.
On arrival at the RHC Carter was incubated and underwent nine-hours of life-saving surgery.
Sheree said: “He had a full repair that night and he had surgery for nine hours. It was lifesaving for him. His heart was put on bypass and he had a blood transfusion, but he lost a lot of blood.
“He was in intensive care for 11 days and his recovery was a slow process. He had alot of drains on his side to remove fluid from the operation, but a drain dislodged which collapsed his lung, which meant he had to go back on oxygen.
“We were discharged back to Kirkcaldy Hospital for monitoring before coming home.
Now, a happy, healthy boy, Carter is 6 and in primary 1 at school. He also helps his mum look after his one-year-old sister, Harley and enjoys playing with his older sister, Sophia, 7. Milestones Sheree was unsure he would be able to enjoy following his tricky start in life.
“The doctors were very surprised that Carter’s recovery was so good because he was very sick. He’s a wee miracle.
“Looking back now, I don’t know what I’d have done without my mum Isabel. It’s one of those moments you think you’ll never get out of. I’m standing here today and can’t believe we’ve gotten to this point. I didn’t think I’d ever see him going to school or take his first steps, it don’t have the words to describe how terrifying it was.
“Carter is just a whirwind now, he’s funny, cheeky and everybody loves him. He’s an inspiration to everybody and he’s known for what he’s been through. He’s clever in school and doing very well. His teacher is so happy with him.”
Now, Carter is raising funds for the Royal Hospital for Children Charity.
Sheree explained: “We do walks, bake sales, just something to make Carter feel involved. He’ll be going round our local park on his scooter to raise some money for the babies.
“The Royal Hospital for Children was amazing with Carter, I couldn’t fault them. Their care was next to nothing, they’re heroes.”