Miracle Surgery Saves 7-Year-Old Girl Born with Heart Outside Chest

Miracle Surgery Saves 7-Year-Old Girl Born with Heart Outside Chest

A team of top doctors, led by Nigerian heart surgeon Dr. Ikenna Omeje, has pulled off what many thought impossible—saving the life of a young girl born with her heart outside her chest. Seven-year-old Vanellope Hope Wilkins, born with an ultra-rare condition called ectopia cordis, is now recovering after a complex life-saving surgery.

This rare defect meant Vanellope’s heart was not inside her chest but outside, protected only by a thin layer of skin. Most babies with this condition don’t survive long after birth. But Vanellope’s story is different. It is one of hope, courage, and the power of modern medicine.

Doctors diagnosed her condition before birth. She was delivered by Caesarean section at Glenfield Hospital in the UK in November 2017. From that moment on, she became the center of a long, carefully planned medical journey.

Her condition, ectopia cordis, is seen in only eight out of every one million babies. Most of them don’t survive more than a few days. But Vanellope beat the odds.

On April 16, 2025, her life changed forever. A 20-member team of experts from the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre and Leicester Children’s Hospital, along with support from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, came together to rebuild her chest and give her heart the protection it never had.

The surgeons used an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine to take over the functions of her heart and lungs during the surgery. This machine gave the team the time and control they needed to work on her delicate organs.

With steady hands and sharp focus, the doctors detached her heart from the thin skin covering it. They then carefully split her ribs in a process called bilateral osteotomy. This allowed them to move the ribs forward and connect them, forming a solid chest wall.

Dr. Omeje, who has been with Vanellope since the day she was born, said the procedure was one of a kind. “Vanellope’s case is completely unique and very rare, so we brought our expertise together and combined several different techniques to perform this surgery,” he said.

He added, “It was a tricky procedure, and it has been a long journey to get to this point, but the sense of satisfaction you get knowing you’ve been successful is very special. I’m just happy to be able to help.”

Vanellope’s mother, Naomi, expressed her relief and admiration. “It’s the fear of the unknown that is the hardest part and saying goodbye before the operation was very hard,” she shared. “But when I saw the consultants walking towards me after the surgery, I just knew from their faces that it had gone well, and I instantly felt a huge sense of relief.”

“What they have done is truly amazing, and I am so in awe of them,” she added. “Vanellope inspires me every day. She is strong and brave, and I am so proud of her.”

Her case brought together some of the brightest minds in pediatric surgery. Alongside Dr. Omeje were Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Nitin Patwardhan and visiting Cardiothoracic Surgeon Nagarajan Muthialu from the prestigious Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This kind of collaboration is rare but crucial for a surgery of this scale and risk. The team included anaesthetists, operating department practitioners, theatre nurses, and perfusionists, all working as one unit.

Medical experts don’t fully understand what causes ectopia cordis. Some think it might be due to physical changes during pregnancy that stop the chest wall from forming correctly. Others believe certain genes like BMP2, when missing, might prevent the heart and chest from developing normally.

According to WebMD, babies with ectopia cordis often have other problems too. These can include defects in the breastbone, the heart’s protective membrane, and even chromosomal disorders like trisomy 18 or Turner syndrome.

Despite these challenges, Vanellope’s story offers hope. Her successful surgery is proof that with the right team and planning, even the rarest and riskiest conditions can be managed.

The journey isn’t over for Vanellope. She will continue to receive close medical follow-up as she grows. But for now, her story stands as a symbol of medical achievement and the strength of a child who refused to give up.

The team that worked on her case described it as one of the most rewarding experiences of their careers. They didn’t just save a life—they gave a child a future.

For families facing similar rare conditions, Vanellope’s recovery offers something very powerful: hope.