Baby with heart growing outside of her chest survives against all odds

Baby Vanellope Hope was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition when she was the size of a grape in her mother's womb.

Nine weeks into the pregnancy it was discovered she had ectopia cordis - the heart is located outside the chest.

Chances of survival were slim doctors revealed and they warned her parents that she was likely to develop chromosomal abnormalities and would have damage to the heart, the Daily Mail reported. They also advised them to terminate the pregnancy.

Unwilling to accept the suggestion, her parents turned to Frances Bu'Lock, a consultant paediatric cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester (UK).  After reviewing scans at 13 and 16 weeks of the baby, Dr Bu'Lock found that apart from the heart abnormality, the baby was relatively normal.

It took a team of 50 doctors and midwives and three operations to relocate her heart inside her chest.

"We came together as a team of fetal medicine doctors, obstetricians, anaesthetists, cardiac and abdominal surgeons and cardiologists to review all of the available information and discuss how best to plan for a delivery, surgery and subsequent care," Dr Bu'Lock told the Daily Mail.

Adding, "It was decided that delivery by caesarean section would be best to reduce the risks of infection, risks of trauma or squashing of the heart during delivery, and that surgery to provide some sort of covering to the heart would be needed immediately after baby was delivered."

At three weeks old Vanellope is recovering well and her estatic parents couldn't be happier. "I can't put in words how grateful I am for everything they have done. They are amazing," Naomi Findlay, the child's mother told the Daily Mail.

Her survival has baffled expert who say they don't know of any other case that has been this successful in the UK.