- Hollie Tran, 32, was concerned when her unborn baby was diagnosed with a hole in his heart, known as ventricular septal defect (VSD)
- When little Noah was born he was diagnosed with a second hole, which lead to him undergoing open heart surgery at just three weeks old
- Hollie was so proud she wrote a book about her little heart hero.
Here Hollie shares her story in her own words
Watching as two pink lines appeared on the pregnancy test, I leapt with joy.
‘I’m going to be a mum!’ I beamed.
After years of hoping, praying and being unlucky in love, my dream was finally coming true.
It was June 2020, and I’d fallen pregnant after a brief relationship.
Covid restrictions meant I had to attend medical appointments alone.
At 12 weeks along, I learned I was having a boy.
By my 20-week ultrasound, my belly had blossomed, and my son was constantly moving. So when the sonographer grew silent during the scan, I assumed my boy had wriggled himself into a position that made it tricky to view him.
She called a second technician in to assist with capturing the images, but neither raised any issues.
I didn’t think any more of it – especially as I could hear the strong thump of my baby’s heartbeat.
When my doctor called with the results though, everything fell into place.
‘Your baby has a heart condition called ventricular septal defect (VSD),’ the doctor said.
It meant that my boy had a hole in his heart.
‘We’ve got this, little one,’ I whispered, cradling my bump.’
A lump immediately formed in my throat. That’s why my scan took so long, I realised.
‘We’ve got this, little one,’ I whispered, cradling my bump.
As a first-time mum, the scary diagnosisof VSD had me feeling constantly on edge.
What if I never get the chance to hold my boy? I fretted.
Two days later, I had an appointment with a cardiologist, who explained that in most cases VSD causes no problems and the hole can often close on its own.
‘We’ll just keep an eye on it and we may need to operate when he’s six months old,’ the specialist explained.
Thankfully, regular scans showed my baby boy was growing just as he should, which helped to ease my nerves.
Back at home, I got to work decorating his nursery in blue and buying cute little onesies.
Then in March 2021, when I was 38 weeks along, my beautiful son was born naturally, weighing a healthy 3.5 kilos. I named him Noah.
‘Thank you for making me a mum,’ I cooed to my sweet boy.
After a quick cuddle, Noah was whisked off to the NICU so they could monitor his heart.
‘There was more bad news. It was suspected Noah had a second hole in his heart, this one known as atrial septal defect (ASD).’
A doctor explained that while Noah was stable for now, if this was confirmed, he would need to have the hole mended.
After four days of monitoring in the NICU, I got the green light to take my boy home as he was doing really well.
Within 48 hours though, a cardiologist from the hospital phoned with the results from an ultrasound.
They confirmed my boy did indeed have a second hole in his heart.
‘Noah’s going to need surgery sooner than we thought,’ he said.
While my boy appeared to be a happy and healthy baby, the two heart conditions, VSD and ASD were a perfect storm. They could lead to further complications, as there wasn’t enough oxygen pumping through Noah’s heart, which could impact his development.
So when Noah was just three weeks old, we were back at hospital where my tiny boy was prepped for open heart surgery.
‘I love you,’ I said, giving him a final kiss before he was wheeled into theatre.
‘Coming out of his coma two days later, Noah had a smile that lit up my heart and the whole room. ‘
During the intricate four-hour operation, surgeons placed medical fabric over the holes to mend his tiny heart.
When I was finally reunited with sweet Noah, it was confronting to see his tiny body snaked in tubes and an angry red scar down the middle of his chest.
He’d been placed in an induced coma to aid his recovery, but I spent every minute by my son’s bedside, reading stories and singing songs.
‘You’re a little fighter. Mummy loves you so much,’ I told him.
Coming out of his coma two days later, Noah had a smile that lit up my heart and the whole room.
Back at home a week later, Noah was such a happy bub.
And despite his traumatic start to life, my clever little boy met all his milestones, bum shuffling when he was one, then up and walking soon after.
A year later, I spotted a curious Noah, then two, staring at his scar in the mirror.
‘What’s this?’ he asked me, pointing at his chest.
‘That’s where doctors put in your superpower,’ I told him, and his eyes lit up.
From that moment on, Noah loved dressing up in his Spiderman or Batman costume and running around. ‘I was a sick baby but I’m a superhero now,’ he’d proudly tell anyone who’d listen.
Inspired by Noah’s strength, I decided to write a children’s book, The Heart Hero, about a brave little boy who learns to view his scar as a symbol of resilience.
It was released in March last year, and Noah was excited to tell everyone he knew that his mummy wrote a book about him.
Now three, Noah is the happiest little soul with so much love to give.
At hospital for an annual check-up recently, the doctor said Noah has a perfect heart and won’t need any further surgery.
Watching my precious Noah run, jump, swim and play, you would never know he had such a difficult start to life.
He’s my little hero!
‘The Heart Hero’ by Hollie Tran is available from Amazon and other bookshops online now.
What is a ventricular septal defect (VSD)?
A ventricular spetal defect is an opening in the wall which separates the two lower chambers of the heart, also known as ventricles.
Normally, the wall between the chambers closes before a baby is born. When the hole does not close on its own, it may cause higher pressure in the heart or reduced oxygen in the body.
It is a very common type of heart defect, however the cause is unknown. Children born with VSD may require surgery to close the hole in their first few months of life.
What is a atrial septal defect (ASD)?
An atrial septal defect is an opening in the wall that separates the two top chambers of the hearts, also known as the atria which allowd oxygen-rich blood to leak into the oxygen-poor chambers in the heart.
While all babies are born with an opening between their upper heart chambers, to help blood to detour away from the lungs before birth, this usually closes within the first few months of life.
Sometimes, when the opening doesn’t close, or is larger than normal, children may require surgery to rectify the issue.
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