Toddler's heart heals itself

Cara Bellamy enjoyed a day out with her family in the countryside yesterday.

To her parents, watching their 20- month- old daughter toddle about the Peak District was nothing short of a miracle.

Eight weeks ago, doctors told them Cara's heart had been damaged beyond repair after she developed cardiomyopathy.

A transplant was her only hope. But no heart could be found.

Then came the miracle. Cara's heart simply started getting better by itself.

To the astonishment and delight of her parents, Darren and Emma, she was taken off her life support machine. Then, as her condition improved, she was allowed home.

Now she is doing so well she has been taken off the transplant waiting list. A scan last week at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne confirmed her recovery is genuine.

Her smiles are back, she is regaining strength by the day and laughter has replaced tears in the family home in Sheffield.

Although Cara will never be as fit as she was and is especially susceptible to infections, her recovery will give hope to other patients waiting for a transplant.

'I am so delighted, I cannot take this smile off my face,' said 27-year-old Mr Bellamy.

'A few weeks ago, the scenario was so different. We truly thought our daughter was going to die.

'When no heart could be found we were just steeling ourselves for what we thought was the inevitable.'

Cara had been healthy before she developed the heart condition in June.

Her 25-year-old mother said Cara's four-year-old brother Daniel had missed her badly while she was in hospital.

'He is happy to have her back, they are great together,' she added. 'We feel like a real family again.'

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