By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 09:17 EST, 8 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:17 EST, 8 May 2013 . A nine-month-old baby boy has amazed doctors by thriving despite being born with just half a heart. Ryan Black was rushed to a specialist hospital when he developed severe breathing difficulties after his birth last August. Doctors discovered that he had hypoplastic left heart syndrome - a condition affecting one in 5,000 children - meaning the left side of his heart had not developed in the womb. Ryan Black, now nine-months-old, was born with just half a heart because the left side did not develop in the womb . Despite having just a 25 per cent chance of survival, he had open heart surgery when he was eight-days-old and had a second operation just two days later. Ryan also had another open heart operation in February this year. He is now a healthy nine-month-old baby and is expected to make a full recovery. His mother, SallyAnn Charlton, 34, from Rainworth, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, said: ‘Naively, you never think your child will be ill, let alone seriously ill, so you are just helpless because there is nothing you can do. ‘It was a huge shock. It’s been a roller-coaster journey and my head was everywhere for the first few weeks. ‘I didn’t know what to think or what to do. Ryan (pictured with his mother, SallyAnn Charlton) was rushed to a specialist hospital 50 miles away because he developed severe breathing difficulties after birth . The baby (pictured with his mother and sister, Eva) underwent two open heart operations in the first few days of his life . ‘I’m a very positive person anyway, but you have to be, you have to fight as much as you can. ‘Ryan is a fighter, the doctors have all said that, and hopefully he will continue to fight.’ The baby was born at Kingsmill Hospital in Mansfield on August 15, 2012, but was rushed 50 miles to to the specialist heart unit at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester when he became unwell. Medics scanned his heart and confirmed he had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Ryan had to have a shunt inserted to allow oxygenated blood to travel from his lungs to the rest of his body . Doctors said that he only had a 25 per cent chance of survival . He was put on a ventilator and underwent open-heart surgery when he was just eight-days-old. During a six-hour operation, surgeons inserted a shunt into his heart to pump oxygen rich blood from his lungs around his body. Due to complications, he had to undergo a second open heart operation when he was ten-days-old and was kept on a ventilator while his mother held a bedside vigil. He had to have another operation in February this year because he started to suffer from breathing difficulties again . He now has to sleep on a special mat which sounds an alarm if he stops breathing . In February this year he was rushed back to hospital after outgrowing the shunt and struggling to breathe. Doctors performed a third open heart operation to remove the shunt and he now uses a vein in his neck to help supply his organs with life-giving oxygen. He is now recovering but has to sleep on a special ‘sensor mat’, which will sound an alarm should he stop breathing. He is now thriving and doctors think that he will make a full recovery . His mother, SallyAnn Charlton, is now raising money for his medical equipment . Ms Charlton, who also has a five-year-old daughter called Eva, said: ‘Not only has she had a little brother but she’s had a little brother who is seriously ill. ‘It’s had a big impact on her too, but she’s been brilliant.’ Ms Charlton is now raising money for Ryan’s medical equipment and is fundraising for heart charity Keep The Beat, which works with Glenfield Hospital.
Ryan Black, now nine-months-old, has hypoplastic left heart syndrome .
This means that the left side of his heart did not develop in the womb .
Rushed to specialist hospital after birth because of breathing difficulties .
Underwent two open heart operations by the time he was ten-days-old .
Had another major heart operation in February this year .
Is now healthy and is expected to be able to lead a normal life .
By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 09:17 EST, 8 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:17 EST, 8 May 2013 . A nine-month-old baby boy has amazed doctors by thriving despite being born with just half a heart. Ryan Black was rushed to a specialist hospital when he developed severe breathing difficulties after his birth last August. Doctors discovered that he had hypoplastic left heart syndrome - a condition affecting one in 5,000 children - meaning the left side of his heart had not developed in the womb. Ryan Black, now nine-months-old, was born with just half a heart because the left side did not develop in the womb . Despite having just a 25 per cent chance of survival, he had open heart surgery when he was eight-days-old and had a second operation just two days later. Ryan also had another open heart operation in February this year. He is now a healthy nine-month-old baby and is expected to make a full recovery. His mother, SallyAnn Charlton, 34, from Rainworth, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, said: ‘Naively, you never think your child will be ill, let alone seriously ill, so you are just helpless because there is nothing you can do. ‘It was a huge shock. It’s been a roller-coaster journey and my head was everywhere for the first few weeks. ‘I didn’t know what to think or what to do. Ryan (pictured with his mother, SallyAnn Charlton) was rushed to a specialist hospital 50 miles away because he developed severe breathing difficulties after birth . The baby (pictured with his mother and sister, Eva) underwent two open heart operations in the first few days of his life . ‘I’m a very positive person anyway, but you have to be, you have to fight as much as you can. ‘Ryan is a fighter, the doctors have all said that, and hopefully he will continue to fight.’ The baby was born at Kingsmill Hospital in Mansfield on August 15, 2012, but was rushed 50 miles to to the specialist heart unit at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester when he became unwell. Medics scanned his heart and confirmed he had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Ryan had to have a shunt inserted to allow oxygenated blood to travel from his lungs to the rest of his body . Doctors said that he only had a 25 per cent chance of survival . He was put on a ventilator and underwent open-heart surgery when he was just eight-days-old. During a six-hour operation, surgeons inserted a shunt into his heart to pump oxygen rich blood from his lungs around his body. Due to complications, he had to undergo a second open heart operation when he was ten-days-old and was kept on a ventilator while his mother held a bedside vigil. He had to have another operation in February this year because he started to suffer from breathing difficulties again . He now has to sleep on a special mat which sounds an alarm if he stops breathing . In February this year he was rushed back to hospital after outgrowing the shunt and struggling to breathe. Doctors performed a third open heart operation to remove the shunt and he now uses a vein in his neck to help supply his organs with life-giving oxygen. He is now recovering but has to sleep on a special ‘sensor mat’, which will sound an alarm should he stop breathing. He is now thriving and doctors think that he will make a full recovery . His mother, SallyAnn Charlton, is now raising money for his medical equipment . Ms Charlton, who also has a five-year-old daughter called Eva, said: ‘Not only has she had a little brother but she’s had a little brother who is seriously ill. ‘It’s had a big impact on her too, but she’s been brilliant.’ Ms Charlton is now raising money for Ryan’s medical equipment and is fundraising for heart charity Keep The Beat, which works with Glenfield Hospital.
hospital when he developed severe breathing children - meaning the left side of his heart had not developed in the womb. Ryan Black, now because the left side did not develop in the womb operation in February this year. He is now a healthy nine-month-old baby and is expected to developed severe breathing difficulties after sister, Eva) underwent two open heart operations hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Ryan had to have open heart operation when he was ten-days-old and