A YOUNG boy who has suffered with a rare heart condition will undergo what will hopefully be his last ever operation this month.
Harley Jones from Trinant is only four but has had two operations since he was diagnosed with hyper-plastic left heart syndrome - where the left hand side of his heart has not developed properly.
On May 16 he will go to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where doctors will fit a tube between his lungs and his heart allowing blood to flow better between the two.
"At the moment I am on edge," said mum Amy Jones, 29, who is staying with Harley at the hospital together with his father Darren Smith and Harley's grandmother. "I am very worried about it, but I’ve got to be strong for Harley."
Once completed its hoped he will not need anymore treatment - with only a remote risk he will need a heart transplant in future.
Harley will be under general anaesthetic during the op for three to four hours.
He will then be cared for in intensive care for two days after, and will remain on ward in Birmingham for a month.
Harley was born prematurely at the Royal Gwent in January 2006.
Although he initially looked well, after five days he stopped feeding and developed bruise-like marks across his body.
Surgeons waited until Harley was four pounds before they operated on his heart at just seven weeks old.
Then, at six-months, Harley suffered a stroke that left him unable to move his right arm and leg.
But he has now completed his first year at school, and has been discharged from speech therapy after therapists said they were pleased with his progress.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article