A four-month-old baby who was wrongly diagnosed with colic nearly died three times and had to undergo open heart surgery after suffering a heart attack.
Carter Hornshaw spent six hours under the knife after being diagnosed with the rare heart condition ALCAPA syndrome.
By that point, Carter was in a life-or-death situation: his symptoms had been dismissed as excess gas, scarlet fever, and a throat infection for days.
Finally, he was so weak that his 20-year-old mother Nikita Kilvington took him to hospital where tests revealed he had a severe heart condition, had suffered a heart attack, and had a 50 percent chance of survival.
Nikita is now warning other parents to get a second opinion if they are concerned about the original diagnosis and says she dreads to think what what have happened if she hadn’t trusted her instincts.
Carter (pictured in recovery) was in a life-or-death situation by the time he reached surgery. His symptoms had been dismissed as excess gas, scarlet fever, and a throat infection for days
He was so weak that his 20-year-old mother Nikita Kilvington (right) took him to hospital where tests revealed he had a severe heart condition, had suffered a heart attack, and had a 50 percent chance of survival
‘I didn’t believe a word the doctors were saying if I’m honest, they kept changing their mind about what was wrong with him,’ Nikita said.
‘At first we were told he had really bad colic, then when I took him back the next day and he was worse, they said it was scarlet fever.
‘We were then told by another doctor the day after it was a throat infection. Nothing seemed to be adding up and it was so frustrating.’
On June 29, concerned Nikita took matters into her own hands and took Carter to Hull Royal Infirmary where his health rapidly deteriorated.
‘He was literally dying in the pram when we got to the hospital, he was really struggling to breath and his heart had swollen.
‘He was covered in tubes, I was a mess seeing him look like that. I felt helpless.
‘It felt like a dream, it all happened to quick it was surreal it must have been a hour after we arrived at A&E we were bluelighted all the way to Leeds.’
Once at the Leeds General Infirmary Carter was placed in ICU and the family had to wait two anxious days before Carter was finally diagnosed with ALCAPA.
ALCAPA is a heart defect in the left coronary artery, which carries blood to the heart muscle, is connected to the pulmonary artery instead of the aorta.
Nikita said: ‘They put a camera inside and finally diagnosed Carter with ALCAPA. It was reassuring to finally have a diagnosis but I was still concerned because it is so rare.
‘The doctor told me he only deals with around three cases a year so I was still very scared for Carter and if he was going to pull through.
‘The next day he suffered a mini heart attack because his heart was so swollen and couldn’t get oxygen to it – it was horrendous.
‘A heart attack is something you associate with old people not a four-month-old baby.’
The following day Carter underwent surgery to save his life while his family, from Hull in East Yorkshire, waited anxiously.
‘It was agonizing,’ Nikita said.
Despite the many hours of surgery and being placed in a medically-induced coma, Carter is now recovering
‘We were all on edge and we could not help but think the worst, I was beside myself. We were told it was a 50/50 chance that Carter would survive and that’s when it hit me I think and I completely broke down.’
Despite the many hours of surgery and being placed in a medically-induced coma, Carter is now recovering.
Nikita said: ‘He has recovered really well and he has amazed all the nurses with how well he’s doing.
‘He will be in hospital for a couple of days but it is terrifying to think what could have happened if we didn’t take him to hospital when we did.
‘I urge any parent who is worried to follow their instincts – without mine Carter might not be with us today.’