A BABY boy who was given a 20 per cent chance of survival after developing heart problems in the womb is winning his battle for life.
Parents Kirsty and Shaun Lewis were told their unborn baby was unlikely to survive after doctors discovered he had a complex condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome with intact atrial septum.
However, after undergoing the first in a series of operations when he was just 23 minutes old, Kaleb has astounded doctors at Birmingham Children's Hospital with his will to live.
Last night, Mr Lewis said: "Every fact and figure says Kaleb shouldn't be here but he is.
"I know he is only eight weeks old but I am just so proud of him.
"He is an inspiration, not just to our family but to everyone because he has already achieved so much."
The Bransholme couple discovered Kaleb had the condition, where the left lower pumping chamber of the heart does not develop properly, when Mrs Lewis had a scan at 21 weeks.
Further tests then showed he had a complication affecting blood flow.
Mrs Lewis, 32, was told she would undergo an emergency Caesarean section at Birmingham's Women's Hospital, before Kaleb would be transferred to the city's Children's Hospital, where a world-class team of heart experts were ready to save him as soon as he was born.
The situation was so serious, the RAF was on standby to rush the couple south in case Mrs Lewis went into labour prematurely.
Kaleb was born on October 21 and after taking ten minutes to stabilise his condition, medics raced him to the children's hospital for his first operation, just 23 minutes after being born.
Mr Lewis, 25, said: "No one is usually allowed in but they let me into the operating theatre so I could kiss him because they knew it could have been the last time I saw him.
"He was so poorly and so unstable but I told him I'd see him soon."
Father and son were reunited after the four-hour operation.
"It just knocked me back when I saw him," said Mr Lewis. "He was so puffed up and he was on so many different infusions. There were wires everywhere."
Despite having undergone her own emergency operation only hours before, Mrs Lewis made it across the city to see her son for the first time the following day.
Kaleb underwent more surgery to close his chest on October 23 and doctors planned to remove a tube from his airway on October 27. But Kaleb had other ideas and removed it himself the day before.
He was moved out of intensive care on October 28 and, as he grew stronger by the day, he underwent the first of three operations known as the Norwood procedure, which aims to improve the flow of blood around the body and create a permanent passage between the chambers of the heart.
Again, doctors warned Kaleb might not make it.
"They gave him a 50/50 chance," said Mr Lewis. "On the morning of the operation, that walk with him to theatre was the longest walk of our lives."
Kaleb was in surgery for eight hours. His chest was closed on November 14 and, after a temporary problem with his heart rate, all looked well.
But, just as doctors were beginning to consider the possibility of Kaleb going home to Hull, he caught a virus and his oxygen levels dipped.
Now, his condition has stabilised and the family are in talks with hospital staff about transferring him closer to home to Leeds.
Family and friends have been visiting the family as often as possible and the couple have been able to have snatched moments with their other son Korban, three, while Mrs Lewis's 11-year-old son Kodi is spending time with his father.
Mr Lewis said: "It feels like we've been here for a couple of years and it's become our second home.
"People might think it's hard to be three hours away but you just go wherever you need to go to help your child.
"But we can't thank the staff enough for all they have done for us. Their knowledge and expertise has just been amazing
"There has been talk about us getting home for Christmas but we want to make sure he's 100 per cent and he is where he needs to be.
"We'll be here for as long as it takes and we will be here for Kaleb every step of the way."
• Visit the Facebook page – facebook.com/KalebsCause.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
• Health news for Hull and East Yorkshire
