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A young mother who raised £1.5million to fund her one-year-old’s complex heart surgery in California has announced the operation was a ‘success’, saying Monday was the ‘longest and hardest day of my life’.
Jasmin Roberts, 24, was told her son, Ollie, ‘would be lucky to be alive until he was two’ after being diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect at two weeks old.
But the operation needed to save his life could not be performed by the NHS because UK hospitals lack the expertise – so Ms Roberts, from Wrexham, crowdfunded £1.5million for the surgery to be done at a specialist children’s hospital in California.
Following Ollie’s heart surgery on Monday, Ms Roberts told the Daily Mail: ‘It was the most terrifying day possible. It was 11 or 12 hours, the surgery, so it was a long time to wait not knowing – and I’m very pleased, I’m very relieved. More than anything I feel hopeful.
‘Ollie had been an in-patient for almost two weeks prior to the surgery, so I’d been with him constantly up until the surgery and then walked him down to the theatre doors and you just sort of have to hand them over – and trust that they [the hospital] are going to do what they can.’
She said the last few months have been ‘very overwhelming, but in a good way’, adding: ‘We’ve had so, so much support’.
Celebrities even helped to fundraise for Ollie, with Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and Scottish author Leigh Rivers donating thousands to the GoFundMe page set up by Ms Roberts in August.
She said: ‘Obviously Ryan Reynolds donating £10,000 was amazing but also the amount of publicity that it brought.
Jasmin Roberts, 24, raised £1.5million for Ollie, one, to undergo heart surgery in California
Doctors previously told Ms Roberts that Ollie would be introduced to the palliative care team because NHS hospitals lacked the expertise to perform the life-saving operation
Ollie underwent heart surgery in California on Monday. Ms Roberts said it was the ‘longest and hardest day of my life’
‘We live up the road from Wrexham football club so it really helped sort of snowball into getting more attention.
‘And Leigh Rivers donated £120,000. That also generated a lot of media coverage and is a huge amount of money.
‘It’s just insane. Those sorts of numbers alone are more than a lot of people will ever see in their lifetime and for just one person to drop that amount of money on a baby they’ve never met, I just can’t explain it.’
The UK-based gaming community Chaotic also donated £100,000.
After flying out to California with Ollie two weeks ago, Ms Roberts took to social media on Tuesday to announce that he had finally undergone heart surgery.
She wrote: ‘Today has been the longest and hardest day of my life, but I am so relieved to be able to say the surgery was a success!
‘Ollie has had his unifocalization, shunt and VSD [ventricular septal defect] repaired. He is currently in the ICU recovering, and will remain sedated for a number of days.
‘His surgeon said Ollie has done better than he thought he would. That’s the little fighter Ollie is.
Ollie was diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries, a rare heart condition, at two weeks old
Once he recovers, the one-year-old will need to undergo another surgery in the UK to complete a ‘full repair’ of his heart
Ms Roberts said it could take between three to 12 months before Ollie is ready for the second surgery
‘Seeing him after surgery was very difficult, but already his colour has started to improve.
‘The next few days will be critical, but everyone has very high hopes for our brave little boy.
‘In a few months’ time Ollie will have his second surgery back in the UK, which will achieve his full repair.
‘Thank you all so much for making this possible, for helping to save my baby’s heart.’
She added: ‘I cannot believe that just five months ago I started fundraising to get Ollie to this exact moment.
‘Everything feels surreal, like I’m going to wake up and it’ll all be a dream. But thanks to you, my biggest dream has actually come true. Thank you so, so much.
‘Ollie, if you read this one day, I am so incredibly proud of you.
‘You’re the strongest, bravest boy in the world and I cannot wait until you’re back to running me ragged, but this time with a stronger heart – there’s going to be no stopping you, my sweet boy.
‘I am so glad every single day that I was chosen to be your mama.’
Ollie was diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (PA-VSD MAPCAs), a condition which means his arteries are too small.
Ollie still needs to undergo one final operation in the UK before his heart is fully repaired and he is able to ‘live a normal life’.
He will undergo the second surgery, to repair a hole in his heart, once his arteries grow following the operation in California.
Ms Roberts said it could take anywhere between three to 12 months before Ollie is ready for the full repair.