THE parents of a five-month-old baby have spoken of their delight after their little girl returned home after open-heart surgery.


Megan Harries, from Flint, was born with a hole in her heart and underwent a major operation last week.


Her heart condition was discovered when her parents, John and Katie, took her to Glan Clwyd Hospital at six-weeks-old to check she didn’t have the same problems with her hips as her 23-month-old sister Hannah.


Hannah had an operation for hip displacement last year and while doctors found Megan did not have any hip problems, they discovered a she had a heart murmur.


Further tests showed she had a hole in her heart and one of her heart valves also needed repairing.


To make matters worse, Megan couldn’t have the nerve-racking operation until Hannah and brother Rhys, three, had recovered from chickenpox.


“There were a lot of risks involved with the operation,” said John. “We were out of minds with worry for months.


“They said she couldn’t have the operation until the incubation period for the chickenpox had passed.”


To the relief of her worried parents, Megan made it through the surgery, which took six-and-a-half hours, and returned home on Sunday.


“The doctors said she wouldn’t be here now if she hadn’t had the operation,” said John.


“The operation went fantastically. She was only in intensive care for 14 hours.”


He added: “We were just pleased to hug her and get her back through the door.”


John said he wanted to thank the staff at Alder Hey for their help, and his colleagues at JE Davies Funeral Directors in Lixwm for their support.


”They’ve given me a lot of time off because she’s had a lot of appointments,” he said. “I’d like to thank them for being so considerate.”