Liam King, is recovering and at home after being fitted with a pacemaker. The 5 day old baby is one of the youngest patients to be given a pacemaker.
Doctors told his parents that without the operation to correct his heartbeat, Liam might live for just 15 minutes.
Father Andy said his return from hospital was “like Christmas Day all over again”.
Liam now faces operations at ages five, 12 and 21 to replace the device as he grows up.
He may also need a heart transplant.
Liam, who was born at 34 weeks gestation, was diagnosed with a heart block, a condition which affects electrical signals sent to the heart to control the heartbeats.
Because Liam is so small, the pacemaker is located near his stomach. It controls the lower chambers of his heart, which were not working properly.
“We saw a light at the end of the tunnel then, the day he had his pacemaker. And two weeks later when he came home, it was like Christmas Day all over again,” Mr King said.
In order to keep Liam safe, his parents have been asked to not use a mobile phone near him in case it interferes with the device. MP3 players, wi-fi internet and even loudspeakers also pose a threat as well.
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