Pippa was always a miracle to her parents, Zoe and her partner. After undergoing IVF to conceive their first child, Rex, they were thrilled to discover that Zoe was pregnant again, just before Rex’s first birthday. It was the best surprise, and with a relatively smooth pregnancy, everything seemed perfect. At two 20-week anomaly scans, they were told everything looked fine, and there were no signs of concern. But little did they know, their world was about to change.
Pippa was born in February 2023 at 41 weeks, seemingly healthy despite some jaundice. She passed all her newborn checks at the hospital, and they were discharged the following day, eager to begin their life as a family of four. Pippa was seen by community midwives and a health visitor, and there were no immediate concerns. She was feeding well and gaining weight, so everything seemed to be progressing as it should.
However, when Pippa reached four weeks old, Zoe began to notice something wasn’t quite right. As a qualified adult nurse and now a specialist community public health nurse (health visitor), Zoe had the expertise to know when something felt off. Pippa had not gained as much weight as expected, so Zoe decided to weigh her again. When the scales showed no change in weight at all, alarm bells began to ring. Despite feeding well and showing no other obvious signs of illness, something was clearly wrong.
Zoe contacted Pippa’s GP, who arranged for an appointment and detected a heart murmur. The GP advised them to take Pippa to the local Paediatric A&E for further evaluation, but Zoe still had no idea just how seriously unwell her daughter was. Once at the A&E, the doctors immediately noticed something concerning—Pippa’s oxygen saturations were dangerously low, and she was turning blue. This was the first time her oxygen levels had been tested, and from that moment, the reality of the situation set in. Although the doctors didn’t yet know the full extent of Pippa’s heart condition, they were certain it was related to her heart.
Thankfully, they lived close to a children’s heart unit, and the emergency blue-light transfer to the hospital took just ten minutes—minutes that proved to be crucial. During the ambulance ride, Pippa stopped breathing and required immediate medical support to keep her alive. Once at the hospital, Pippa was rushed into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where she was stabilized and given a life-saving balloon septostomy. It was then that Zoe and her partner were informed of Pippa’s diagnosis: Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), coarctation of the aorta, and an atrial septal defect (ASD), or a hole in her heart.
The ambulance ride and the arrival at PICU were every parent’s worst nightmare. “I honestly thought we’d lost her,” Zoe reflects. “I blamed myself for not realizing my baby was so unwell, despite the fact she had been seen by numerous professionals.” Zoe had never heard of TGA before, but in the days before Pippa’s surgery, she poured over every story she could find about children with similar conditions. It became clear that Pippa had fought longer than most children with TGA, as babies with this condition usually become seriously ill within the first few weeks of life and often do not survive without immediate surgery.
Adding to the worry, Pippa was also diagnosed with a stroke, likely caused by the low oxygen levels, which had thickened her blood and led to a blood clot on her brain. Despite these overwhelming challenges, Pippa continued to battle. She underwent a seven-hour open-heart surgery to correct her heart condition, and the procedure was a success. Her recovery was nothing short of miraculous. From admission to discharge, Pippa spent just 11 days in the hospital, and the medical team was astounded by her speedy recovery.
Now, at nearly one year old, Pippa is a happy, cheeky, and thriving little girl. You would never know by looking at her that she had ever been seriously ill. Her first birthday, which falls in February—Heart Month—is a celebration of not only her survival but also the incredible resilience and strength she’s shown. Zoe and her partner are forever grateful to the doctors, nurses, and surgeons who worked tirelessly to save their daughter’s life, and they are passionate about raising awareness for early heart defect detection.
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One of the key lessons Zoe has learned throughout this journey is the importance of early detection. If Pippa’s oxygen saturations had been measured at birth, her heart defects could have been diagnosed before she was discharged from the hospital, possibly preventing the critical situation that nearly cost her life. “If Pippa’s oxygen saturations had been measured at birth, it would have helped to diagnose her TGA before she was discharged home,” Zoe explains. “Although it wouldn’t have changed Pippa’s diagnosis, it would have dramatically changed the experience for us all as a family.”
This is why Zoe is so passionate about supporting the work of Tiny Tickers, a charity that advocates for routine pulse oximetry tests for all newborns. These tests are quick, simple, and can help detect serious heart defects like Pippa’s before they become life-threatening. Zoe believes that every newborn baby deserves to be tested, as this simple step could save lives. “Every newborn baby deserves the test that could help save their life,” Zoe says.
Pippa’s story is a testament to the power of early detection, the strength of a family, and the remarkable care provided by medical professionals. Her survival is a miracle, and Zoe is determined to share her story so that other families can benefit from the lessons she has learned. Through her advocacy and work with Tiny Tickers, Zoe hopes to ensure that no parent has to go through what they did with Pippa—facing the unknown and fighting to save their child’s life.
Pippa is forever Zoe’s heart warrior, and her journey will continue to inspire others for years to come.