A MIRACLE girl has started year one at school after defying the odds all her life.
Arayaa Broadmore underwent rare surgery while still in the womb after her mum, Jade Johnson, was told her baby’s diaphragm hadn’t grown at her 20-week scan.
The Berkswell Church of England Primary School pupil was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) and her abdominal organs were growing in her chest.
The five-year-old was given a small chance of survival.
Determined to give her baby a fighting chance, Jade moved to London where she met with specialist Kyprianos Nicolaides at King’s College Hospital.
At 24 weeks, he inserted a balloon into Arayaa’s windpipe via keyhole surgery to help her lungs grow.
Jade said: “All I kept thinking was, ‘this is the only way to save my daughter – I am doing everything I can to help her’.”
At 34 weeks, a second operation removed the balloon.
Jade went into labour four days later and gave birth on November 18, 2012 at Birmingham Women’s Hospital.
Jade said: “When I saw Arayaa for the first time a consultant said, ‘We were taking minute by minute, but she’s fighting’.
“When she was born I knew she had to be taken straight away as she was so poorly and to my shock they passed her to me – I immediately passed her straight back and said ‘Please make her better’.”
Arayaa had an operation at Birmingham Children’s Hospital at seven days old and the surgeons could not close her abdomen for three days as it was so small.
But the battling little child’s fight did not stop there. Arayaa had to fight life-threatening sepsis (blood poisoning) after the operation to put her organs in the correct place. “We nearly lost her,” adds mum.
Arayaa had a gortex patch (pig skin) to cover the hole in her diaphragm.
She went back to Birmingham Women’s Hospital and Heartlands Hospital, and was discharged on New Year’s Eve after spending her first Christmas on the ward.
When Arayaa was 18 months, her respiratory consultant heard bowel sounds in her chest. The hole had opened again and organs had moved back to her chest.
Jade said: “It was like a car crash when we were given the news.
” It took 10 hours in theatre, the worst 10 hours of my life whilst they peeled her organs back out of her chest and peeled them from one another.
“Another patch had been placed and she was on the road to recovery once again.”
Although Arayaa has ongoing medical conditions she is able to take part in dancing, gymnastics and playing with friends.
Jade says: “She is resilient, strong and a true miracle. We adore her and know that she is here with a purpose and has defeated all odds.”
Jade looked to CDH UK, a charity supporting families given a diagnosis.
Each year the charity holds a black tie fundraising event, and this year Jade has been asked to be the local organiser for the event at Manor House in Meriden on October 6.
It includes an auction and a performance by Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Pippa Langhorne.
For more or to book tickets, visit www.facebook.com/events/1893554310955469/
For more about CDH UK visit www.cdhuk.org.uk
