A one-year-old boy born with a hole in his heart will undergo surgery to give him half a brain this week in a desperate bid to stop his daily seizures. Caleb Miller made headlines when he received a heart transplant at just four months old in July 2013 after doctors diagnosed his congenital heart defect. But while he was on the waiting list, he suffered a stroke that obliterated the key functions of the left side of his brain, leaving him with epilepsy. Now, his mother, of Springfield, Missouri, hopes an eight-hour operation to separate the left and right sides of his brain - essentially rendering one side defunct - can put an end to the daily seizures. Battle: Caleb Miller made headlines when he received a heart transplant at just four months old in July 2013 . Caleb's mother Desire Miller wrote on Facebook: 'Please pray for health for our family this week. 'We've been laying low and only getting out when necessary since we found our Caleb was having surgery. 'We're entering the final week of lockdown and I'm finding my nerves are on edge when it comes to germs. 'As much as we're dreading surgery, Caleb's seizures appear to be getting worse instead of better and we're praying there won't be any delays in getting him to the OR.' To tackle his epilepsy, Caleb will be having a functional hemispherotomy. The eight-hour procedure removes all connections between the left and right brain. It means seizures cannot spread to the other hemisphere. Horrific ordeal: While Caleb was on the waiting list, he suffered a stroke that obliterated the key functions of the left side of his brain, leaving him with epilepsy. He now has daily seizures which are getting worse . Operation: To tackle his epilepsy, Caleb will be having a functional hemispherotomy, an eight-hour procedure . Rare condition: Caleb has been in and out of the hospital on an almost weekly basis his entire life with CHD . The operation generally reduces seizures in patients by up to 75 per cent. 'One in 100 kids are born with some sort of congenital heart defect. There's over 40 defects and some have a combination, in Caleb's case he had multiple defects,' Miller told OzarksFirst.com. 'He's going to have the left half of his brain disconnected from the right half because the left half is what is triggering the seizures,' Miller said. 'They are giving us a 70 to 80 percent chance that will completely take the seizures away.' Caleb has been in and out of the hospital on an almost weekly basis his entire life. Hopes: His mother Desire Miller, of Springfield, Missouri, hopes the operation will reduce his seizures . A congenital heart defect (CHD) occurs in babies blood vessels do not fully develop around the heart before they are born. It is not known what causes CHD but genetics and the mother's diet are believed to be significant factors. Many affected children never need treatment, and many are not diagnosed until they are older. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in four children with CHD have a chronic form that requires surgery within months of their birth. 'In a smooth course there are tons of kids you would never know are born with any sort of heart defect,' Miller told the station. 'Two and a half years ago before Caleb was diagnosed, I had no idea what the letters 'CHD' stood for,' she said, 'It is a serious epidemic that we have, but it's extremely underfunded and not well known.'
One-year-old Caleb Miller was born with congenital heart defect .
Before heart transplant he had stroke at 4 months old, left him with epilepsy .
Now preparing for brain surgery to separate left and right sides .
His parents in Springfield, MO, hope the operation will stop the seizures .
A one-year-old boy born with a hole in his heart will undergo surgery to give him half a brain this week in a desperate bid to stop his daily seizures. Caleb Miller made headlines when he received a heart transplant at just four months old in July 2013 after doctors diagnosed his congenital heart defect. But while he was on the waiting list, he suffered a stroke that obliterated the key functions of the left side of his brain, leaving him with epilepsy. Now, his mother, of Springfield, Missouri, hopes an eight-hour operation to separate the left and right sides of his brain - essentially rendering one side defunct - can put an end to the daily seizures. Battle: Caleb Miller made headlines when he received a heart transplant at just four months old in July 2013 . Caleb's mother Desire Miller wrote on Facebook: 'Please pray for health for our family this week. 'We've been laying low and only getting out when necessary since we found our Caleb was having surgery. 'We're entering the final week of lockdown and I'm finding my nerves are on edge when it comes to germs. 'As much as we're dreading surgery, Caleb's seizures appear to be getting worse instead of better and we're praying there won't be any delays in getting him to the OR.' To tackle his epilepsy, Caleb will be having a functional hemispherotomy. The eight-hour procedure removes all connections between the left and right brain. It means seizures cannot spread to the other hemisphere. Horrific ordeal: While Caleb was on the waiting list, he suffered a stroke that obliterated the key functions of the left side of his brain, leaving him with epilepsy. He now has daily seizures which are getting worse . Operation: To tackle his epilepsy, Caleb will be having a functional hemispherotomy, an eight-hour procedure . Rare condition: Caleb has been in and out of the hospital on an almost weekly basis his entire life with CHD . The operation generally reduces seizures in patients by up to 75 per cent. 'One in 100 kids are born with some sort of congenital heart defect. There's over 40 defects and some have a combination, in Caleb's case he had multiple defects,' Miller told OzarksFirst.com. 'He's going to have the left half of his brain disconnected from the right half because the left half is what is triggering the seizures,' Miller said. 'They are giving us a 70 to 80 percent chance that will completely take the seizures away.' Caleb has been in and out of the hospital on an almost weekly basis his entire life. Hopes: His mother Desire Miller, of Springfield, Missouri, hopes the operation will reduce his seizures . A congenital heart defect (CHD) occurs in babies blood vessels do not fully develop around the heart before they are born. It is not known what causes CHD but genetics and the mother's diet are believed to be significant factors. Many affected children never need treatment, and many are not diagnosed until they are older. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in four children with CHD have a chronic form that requires surgery within months of their birth. 'In a smooth course there are tons of kids you would never know are born with any sort of heart defect,' Miller told the station. 'Two and a half years ago before Caleb was diagnosed, I had no idea what the letters 'CHD' stood for,' she said, 'It is a serious epidemic that we have, but it's extremely underfunded and not well known.'
congenital heart defect. But while he was on the his brain, leaving him with epilepsy. Now, his eight-hour operation to separate the left and right sides of his brain - essentially rendering seizures. Battle: Caleb Miller made headlines months old in July 2013 . Caleb's mother Desire His mother Desire Miller, of Springfield, Missouri, hopes the operation will reduce his