A baby girl, who was the youngest patient in the country to have an ICD fitted, has been given a second chance at life.

Carina Marcangelo, who turned one on February 13, had cardiomyopathy diagnosed in July last year and was placed on the list for a heart transplant in November.

On Sunday, April 7, her Esher family received the life-changing phone call they had been waiting on for five months; a heart had become available.

Carina was taken from the Royal Brompton Hospital, where she has been since October 18 after she collapsed at home, to Great Ormond Street Hospital for the transplant.

She was taken down for the nine hour procedure at 2pm, but after the transplant suffered a large amount of bleeding, the source of which doctors were unable to locate.

Carina was taken back to the operating theatre on Monday morning for further surgery to stem the bleeding.

Following the surgery, she was taken off of the ECMO machine to give her blood the chance to clot. The bleeding in her chest stopped, but she developed a blood clot in her right leg.

Daren Marcangelo, Carina’s father, said she was in a critical way and was having another procedure done to try to save her leg due to the clot.

Mr Marcangelo said yesterday his daughter would have another procedure on Tuesday evening to put her on kidney dialysis.

Meeting with the Elmbridge Guardian last Friday, Mr Marcangelo explained how tough the past two months had been.

He said: “It is like a living hell almost because you’re trying to keep everything together.

"You can’t spend time as a ‘normal’ family, but you can celebrate things in some way here.”

Mr Marcangelo spent his 40th birthday at the hospital with his daughter, along with her first birthday and Christmas Day.

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The family had been told on a number of occasions they were at the stage of losing their daughter, who is believed to be one of the most complex children in the country.

Mr Marcangelo said: “With Carina, it is impossible to predict what happens next.

“We have come to terms with it but it does not make it any easier. Every day is a battle almost because you don’t know what to expect. We will get there. I am confident we will.”

Mr Marcangelo is reiterating the importance for both adults and children to be signed up as organ donors.

He said: “A heart is the most important organ in the body and sadly people do not see it that when it is there time to leave the planet, there is no use for the organs.

“We have got a shortage in adult donors but it is even shorter with the children’s side.”

“It is important that children are signed up on the register.

“It is so important to talk about your wishes with your loved ones. You can always say ‘what would we do’ but you can always change your mind if you want to.

“The medical advances are happening but without the donors it’s putting them to waste.”

“Would you take an organ yourself or for a loved one? Then if that is the case, you should be willing to give as well as take. Everyone seems willing to take but not to give.”

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Mr Marcangelo is also urging people to give blood, after he saw firsthand how important the life-saving transfusions are, when Carina needed litres of blood during her procedures.

The team at the Royal Brompton Hospital who looked after Carina for half of her life were highly praised.

Mr Marcangelo said: “We are indebted to the hospital. They have saved Carina so many times. This place will always have a special place in our lives.”

To follow updates on Carina, visit carinamarcangelo.com.