Lois was born at 38+4 weeks after a completely normal, textbook pregnancy and delivery. The family was overjoyed. Just two hours later, however, she began turning purple and mottled. Her oxygen saturations were only 89 per cent. She was whisked to special care for four days of intensive investigations. On day four her saturations crashed dramatically and she was transferred by emergency ambulance to a specialist children’s hospital.

There, on Easter Sunday, doctors finally diagnosed the ultra-rare hemitruncus arteriosus. Her ductus arteriosus was the only thing keeping her alive as it slowly closed. The ECMO machine had even been placed on standby. Surgery took place on 12 April. Despite being nicknamed “little drama queen” by the medical team, Lois surprised everyone with her remarkable recovery.

“That sudden nightmare showed how strong both of you are, mama. From duct-dependent crisis to successful repair, you stood beside your drama queen every step. You became the mother of a true fighter.”