Parents thought their baby 'wouldn't make it through' after heart failure—his first response after a 5-day coma stunned all
Every parent dreams of watching their child grow up happy and healthy, hitting milestones, and living a full life. But for some families, that journey takes a heartbreaking turn. Childhood illnesses can strike without warning, leaving parents in a race against time and medical challenges. Among the rarest and most frightening are heart conditions that threaten a child’s life before it even truly begins. This is the reality for baby Michael, as shared by his family on GoFundMe. “This is our beautiful son Michael,” his parents wrote as they shared a lovely picture of the newborn.
At just 14 weeks and 3 days old, he went to bed like any other baby, but by 5 a.m., he had gone into heart failure. The trauma of watching their newborn gasping for breath and fighting for life was unimaginable. “In that moment, I did not think Michael would make it through,” said the mother. Miraculously, Michael survived an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, something only 7% of patients do.
Doctors later discovered that Michael had a cardiac fibroma, a rare tumour inside his heart, seen only in a handful of UK cases. According to the National Library of Medicine, Cardiac fibromas are the second most common type of heart tumor found in children, after rhabdomyomas. They are made up of connective tissue and fibroblasts. Although these tumors are not cancerous, they can still cause serious problems like blocking blood flow inside the heart, affecting the heart’s arteries, or disrupting the heart’s rhythm, all of which can lead to sudden death. These kinds of tumors in children are sometimes linked to genetic conditions. For example, rhabdomyomas are often seen in children with tuberous sclerosis, and cardiac fibromas can be found in 3% to 5% of people with Gorlin syndrome.
Michael now relies on a pacemaker and defibrillator, but it’s already at full capacity and affecting his development. The only hope lies in surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, whose world-class team has successfully performed this complex operation before. The cost, however, is around £116,000, not covered by the NHS. “The dream is to get him to Boston as soon as we can,” his parents shared.
According to another report by the National Library of Medicine, in one case, a 14-month-old boy showed no clear heart symptoms, but wasn’t growing as expected. Doctors found a large fibroma in his right ventricle through an ultrasound, and the diagnosis was later confirmed with an MRI. After surgery to remove the tumor, the child began to grow normally. This case shows how heart tumors can appear in unexpected ways and should be considered when a baby isn’t growing properly. Michael’s family is urgently raising funds to give him the life-saving surgery he needs. Their goal is to give him the best possible chance at a healthy, happy future. Every contribution, big or small, helps move them closer to that dream. With each donation, they are one step nearer to the treatment that could change Michael’s life. Time is critical, and their hope lies in the kindness of others. "Every day we worry if it will be our last with Michael. Please help us to get his tumour removed," the mother expresses.