A mother ignored her physicians’ advice to abort her child because he only had half a heart while he was still in utero.
Today, her four-year-old son, Romeo, is thriving — he’s even begun school.
After the child was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), Charmaine Oates, a mother of two, said doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy at 20 weeks.
Oates, 27, and her partner, James Weiss, 28, from Merseyside, in northwest England, decided to reject the advice.
“James and I believe that wherever there is even a little bit of life, there is hope,” Oates said in a statement.
HLHS is a severe form of a rare congenital defect in which the left lower pumping chamber (the left ventricle) of the heart develops improperly. The heart is dangerously smaller than usual — and unable to pump blood around the body effectively.
“I will never, ever in my life regret keeping this little boy.”
Just two days after he was born, Romeo was rushed into his first heart surgery. Since then, Romeo — a name associated with the Shakespearean character who died for love — has endured five surgeries. The last one was considered very successful.
“He is always smiling — even after his surgeries — and loves playing with his big brother,” said Oates in a statement.
If his heart does not grow as he does, the boy will need a heart transplant later in life.
“Being a mom is one of the greatest honors. I will never, ever in my life regret keeping this little boy,” said Oates, according to the Daily Mail.
Oates commented on the difficulty of seeing her child suffer, as well as his strength and bravery. “He has fought a battle that we never wanted him to have to fight. His body has tried to give up but his spirit and soul have said ‘no.'”
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Parents have a tremendous responsibility to provide for their children. Oates firmly believes that every child has the right to life, and urges parents to protect their right to live — no matter how hopeless or imperfect that life may seem.
“I think every parent should take the chance we did.”
“I really think every parent should take the chance we did,” Oates said in a statement. “If your baby isn’t dying in the womb, then why not give them a chance to survive in the world?”
Romeo is loving school and making countless friends, the Daily Mail reported.
“All the other kids flock around him and tell him how brave he is, which is so nice to see,” said Romeo’s mother. “He is so loved and we are so proud of him.”
While the child has endured many challenges already, his parents said they will never regret their decision to bring him into the world — especially since he has made them all stronger.
Related: Mother Opts for Emergency Fetal Surgery
“His half a heart has completed the heart of our family,” Oates said in a statement.
The family started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a trip to Disneyland as a reward for the child’s bravery.
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