Brave teenager who had seven life-saving operations as a baby gets new heart

Shortly after her birth, doctors realised she had serious life-threatening conditions including a heart problem called transposition of the great arteries.

They also found that her coronary arteries had not formed properly either.

Within the first few months of her life, Olivia was in and out of hospital and had to undergo seven-life saving operations at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Dave said that Olivia has been in heart failure ever since and was put on the transplant list in January of this year after previously having had open heart surgery.

Dave and Emma recently received a call from Newcastle Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, to say that a donor match had been found.

"It was mad," Dave said. "We had the call at 7.15 in the morning – my wife's phone went and then my phone went – and we just knew.

"We just went into panic mode and it was a really lovely lady on the end of the line who said 'We've got an ambulance coming, just pack a bag' and then before we knew it the ambulance was here from Shrewsbury. Olivia was blue-lighted all the way to Newcastle.

"It was difficult because it was a massive surgery but we knew she needed it and over the last few weeks her heart had been deteriorating, her blood pressure was going low and we knew as time would've gone on she may have got worse.

"This is something she desperately needed and we didn't know how long it would take. Our lives have been on hold waiting for the heart to come along and now we think it's all happened for a reason."

"This will massively change her (Olivia's) life.

"She loves horse-riding, which is her passion, and even though she had a bad heart she would still go and it would tire her out so much. This will just be amazing for her."

The family has said Olivia is recovering well and has been incredibly brave throughout.

They are hoping to contact the donor family in the future to thank them for the gift they have given Olivia.