AT JUST five months old, little Cerys Small has survived three open heart operations and is being kept alive thanks to daily doses of Viagra.

The youngster from Maesglas is set to go under the knife again when she gets older, but it’s the drug thats keeping further surgery at bay.

She is on seven different medicines a day to combat a complex heart defect, but it is Viagra – generic name Sildenofil and most famously used to treat sexual dysfunction in men – that is the key to keeping stable her fragile health.

For it is also used to treat pulmonary hypertension, where constricted blood vessels force the heart to work harder to pump blood.

Without it, Cerys, who lives with her parents Gareth, 31 and Kerrie, 30, eight-year-old sister Megan and six-year-old brother Evan, is prone to multiple daily cyanotic spells, turning blue or purple as her body fights to get the blood circulating.

“She was having a lot of episodes but since starting on the Viagra she’s stabilised,” said Mrs Small.

“We were giggling when they told us what drug she would need, but it was apparently originally used for that.”

The first signs of the baby’s complex set of heart problems surfaced at Mrs Small’s 20-week pregnancy scan, when a hole in the heart was detected.

“At first they predicted one operation and a 98 per cent survival rate. But a couple of weeks later it was three operations before she was five, and a 50 per cent chance of survival.

“The news got worse and we were asked to consider a termination, but we were determined to go ahead.”

Cerys was born on January 18 at Bristol’s St Michael’s Hospital, which boasts specialist maternity facilities, to be closer to specialist heart treatment available at the city’s children’s hospital.

At six days old she had surgery to secure her stomach and bowel as, because she was also born without a spleen, they were in danger of twisting.

At first she coped well with her heart problems, but after several weeks the cyanotic spells increased, and surgery was arranged.

She had a six-hour operation in Bristol on April 20, afterward spending six weeks in hospital there and in Cardiff.

“The operation wasn’t a complete success and she needs more surgery, but she’s a real fighter,” said Mr Small.

“As long as the Viagra keeps working, the next operation should be between three and five years old.

“But only her body will dictate that.”