When Amanda walked into her routine 20-week pregnancy scan, she never imagined how drastically life was about to change. She was excited, imagining tiny kicks, soft baby blankets, and the joy of meeting her daughter for the first time. But what began as an ordinary appointment soon became the start of a journey filled with fear, strength, and unimaginable love.

During the scan, doctors discovered a small cyst on her baby’s bowel — something they said would need monitoring but was unlikely to cause harm. It was worrying, but manageable. Yet, as Amanda’s pregnancy progressed and further scans were scheduled, one appointment would turn their world upside down.

At six months pregnant, the sonographer grew quiet. After what felt like hours of silence, they gently suggested that the baby might have a serious heart condition — Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (TAPVD).

Amanda had gone to the appointment alone, planning to head to work afterward. When she called her husband Jack afterward, she could barely speak. “We had only just come to terms with the cyst,” she recalled. “But hearing there was something wrong with her heart — it felt like the floor had disappeared beneath us.”

💔 A Diagnosis That Changed Everything

The couple was referred immediately to a specialist hospital. The next day, in the fetal cardiology unit, Amanda and Jack sat through an agonizingly quiet 30-minute scan. When it ended, the doctor led them into a small counselling room.

There, through tears and medical diagrams, the fetal cardiologist explained the details: their baby’s veins were not connecting to her heart as they should. Without surgery soon after birth, she wouldn’t survive.

Amanda remembers stepping out of that hospital and standing on the busy city street, tears streaming down her face as the world rushed past. “Everyone else was living their lives,” she said softly. “Ours had just stopped.”

But amid the shock, a small thread of hope appeared. Their cardiac liaison nurse handed them information — including a link to Tiny Tickers, a charity supporting families facing congenital heart defects. That same night, Amanda ordered their support pack.

“It was the first time I read something I could truly understand,” she said. “It didn’t just explain the condition — it gave us hope. Real families. Real children. Real survival.”

Through Tiny Tickers, she also connected with another “heart mum” nearby. “That connection became a lifeline,” Amanda shared. “Someone who truly understood the fear, the language, the waiting.”

🌈 A Christmas Arrival — and a Fight for Life

As Amanda’s due date approached, every scan seemed to bring new concerns. The doctors feared one of Indie’s veins might already be narrowing, meaning surgery might be needed as soon as she was born.

Plans were changed — Amanda would give birth at the specialist hospital via C-section, just nine days before Christmas. The family had hoped to spend that weekend celebrating an early Christmas with their three-year-old son Blake, but instead, they packed their bags and moved closer to the hospital, preparing for whatever lay ahead.

At 9:49 a.m., on a crisp December morning, baby Indie was born — weighing exactly 3.07 kg. “They wanted her to be 3 kg for surgery,” Amanda smiled. “So even then, she was hitting targets.”

The delivery room was filled with about 14 professionals — surgeons, neonatologists, cardiologists — each ready for action. And yet, in that whirlwind of medical urgency, they made space for something beautiful. “They dropped the drape so we could see her,” Amanda said. “And when she let out the smallest but mightiest cry, it was the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.”

Moments later, Indie was intubated and taken to the neonatal unit. Amanda kissed her cheek as they whisked her away. Jack followed, never leaving her side.

At just four hours old, Indie was taken into open-heart surgery. Amanda lay in her hospital bed, unable to move, praying for a miracle. After a long, harrowing wait, the call finally came at7 p.m. — “She’s out of surgery. It went well.”

They both broke down in tears.

When Amanda saw her daughter in the PICU for the first time, she was covered in wires, her tiny chest rising and falling with the rhythm of machines. But because of Tiny Tickers’ guidance, Amanda was prepared for the sight. “Instead of fear, I felt relief,” she said. “She had made it.”

💞 Hope, Healing, and Hard Days

Indie spent 16 days in the hospital. Amanda used bonding squares each night to keep her scent close, and Blake proudly gifted his baby sister a teddy shaped like a hot dog — “the hospital staff loved it,” she laughed.

The family was finally discharged home on New Year’s Day — a fitting symbol of hope and new beginnings. But their relief was short-lived.

At Indie’s six-week post-op check, doctors found her pulmonary vein had started narrowing. She underwent a catheter balloon procedure, but complications caused bleeding, sending her back to PICU. After ten tense days, she came home again — this time on medication.

Then, more devastating news: the vein had narrowed once more. She would need another open-heart surgery — but only when she reached 5 kg. Amanda watched her baby fight to grow stronger, knowing every ounce mattered.

When the day finally came, Indie was exactly four months old — and 5 kg. Surgery went well. She recovered quickly, and just four days later, on Easter Sunday, the family returned home once again.

🌟 A Miracle in Motion

Today, Indie is thriving. She no longer needs medication, her check-ups are now six months apart, and her smile lights up every room she’s in.

Amanda still knows that more interventions may be needed someday — but for now, every heartbeat is a victory.

“We owe so much to Tiny Tickers,” she said. “Their support gave us the knowledge, strength, and community we desperately needed. I can’t imagine how different our journey would have been without them.”

She looks at her daughter — laughing beside her big brother Blake — and smiles through tears.

“There are no words for how proud we are of Indie. She’s our miracle. She’s completed our family.”

And somewhere between the scars and the smiles, between the fear and the faith, one tiny heart keeps beating — proof that love, preparation, and courage can change everything. 💗