Her surgery was initially scheduled at 7.30 in the morning and it was postponed to the afternoon 2pm due to an emergency surgery required by a baby. The postponement of the surgery was informed half an hour before the scheduled time.

The surgeons advised daddy and mummy to stay at the Day Care Ward so that they can reach us any time to confirm the surgery. Daddy and mummy were relief hearing that postponement and rollercoaster ride starts when the Cardiac Surgeons confirmed to proceed with Amelia’s surgery in the afternoon.

Daddy and mummy were allowed to take Amelia to the anesthetics room where she was given gas to make her sleep. Her eyes were still opened when she was unconscious. The cardiac nurse then asked daddy and mummy to wait outside the Intensive Care Ward waiting area. 

Daddy and mummy were told that the surgery is going to take about 6 hours and the success rate of this kind of surgery is 95% and above. The surgery took approximately 8 hours. Amelia was sent straight to Intensive Care Ward from the operating theatre. Daddy and mummy were advised to stay at the hospital’s accommodation just in case of emergency require them to be there.

Visits to Amelia at the Intensive Care Unit for Daddy and mummy were allowed at any time 24 hours a day. However, Visitors other than parents were allowed one at a time with either daddy or mummy.

Amelia was kept in the hospital for 12 days. Her recovery was monitored closely using machines and there were nurses on duty 24 hours a day and doctors frequently checked on her recovery progress. There were some setbacks due to infections, water in the lungs, kidney failure and uncontrollable heart beats but generally, her recovery progressed very well.

Special thanks to GOSH for this.