Bentlee is only a few months old, but this Tiny Light has given her parents the strength to look forward to the future. She has also become her big brother’s best playmate, spending lots of time together with her favourite toys.
Diagnosed in utero at the 18 week ultrasound, parents Jamie and Chelsey were told their daughter has one of the most complex heart defects – Bentlee’s heart only has one ventricle instead of two and both her major arteries are switched. It is very hard on the heart to get oxygenated blood to the whole body. Her pulmonary artery is also narrowed, restricting blood flow into the lungs.
Bentlee will require a major heart surgery in the next month or two, and then another surgery when she is a toddler. In between, there will be dozens of tests and appointments, and possibly a few smaller surgical procedures. Doctors have no idea what a life span is for Bentlee.
Her parents weren’t sure they would be able to cope when they first found out about Bentlee’s condition, but this Tiny Light has brought the family even closer together. “We just try to stay in the present and love her and treat her like any other normal baby.”
Written by Elaine Yong
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