Smiling faces abound now that baby girl Carina Marcangelo has finally returned home after being given the gift of life through a new heart and battling through complications.

Carina, now aged 15-and-a-half months, had cardiomyopathy diagnosed in July last year and spent six months in hospital, away from her Esher home.

The disease damages the heart muscle and Carina was admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital in October after she collapsed at home.

After a month in hospital, she was placed on the waiting list for a heart transplant and was the youngest patient in the country to be fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).

Following an agonising wait, in early April the Marcangelo family received the call they had been waiting desperately for and Carina was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital for the transplant.

Before the call, the family said they had prepared themselves for the worst as doctors had told them many times to say when they thought the ordeal had been enough for their daughter.

Carina’s father, Darren Marcangelo, 40, said: “The doctors had told us they didn’t know what to do next for Carina.

“It is a horrendous position to be in, but we were never going to give up on her.”

Carina underwent the nine-hour procedure and her parents were told she would come back from the surgery on an ECMO machine, which acts as an external bypass machine.

Carina almost bled to death after the surgery and doctors had to act quickly to stop the bleeding. As a result, Carina ended up with a large blood clot behind her knee.

Mr Marcangelo said: “They initially said there was no hope for her leg after the transplant. It was horrendous. We didn’t cope very well with it.”

His wife, Nicole, 36, said: “It just felt like one thing after another and we thought ‘What’s next?’”

The family said they were “so lucky” a plastic surgeon came up and looked at Carina’s leg and suggested a procedure worth trying.

The procedures to save her leg were successful and Carina now has blood thinning injections to her leg twice a day to help the recovery process.

After a month-and-a-half at Great Ormond Street Hospital, the family were delighted to be able to spend the late May bank holiday at home.

The family’s joy was short-lived when Carina was taken to Kingston Hospital on Monday, May 27, after having difficulty breathing and a high temperature.

Mrs Marcangelo said: “They said it would be a short stay while she had oxygen, but it was quite strange being back at Kingston, as that is where it all began. Kingston Hospital saved her life the first day she collapsed.

“The day we left Great Ormond Street, a consultant said to us they were amazed Kingston had kept her alive because of her complex condition. Kingston is a fantastic hospital and has a brilliant team.”

After being given antibiotics for her chest infection, Carina returned home to her family on Thursday, May 30, where she has remained since.

Mrs Marcangelo said: “Apart from the hiccup, life has been so amazing since we have been home but it is exhausting.”

The family said the change in Carina had been great since returning home, with her starting to blow raspberries again – something she did in the early stages of being admitted to hospital.

Carina’s big sister, Emily, four, took everything she was faced with in her stride and adapted to life at hospital, making friends with other children and families.

To celebrate her sister’s return home, Emily and her friends at nursery made a giant banner, decorated with Carina’s favourite colours.

After spending nearly half of her life in hospital, Carina is now enjoying little things such as seeing the clouds in the sky, feeling the wind in her face and watching the family’s pet cat with fascination.

Mrs Marcangelo: “The first time we went out of the hospital after her transplant, it was like the first time she had seen the world.

“Now we are home, we won’t take anything for granted, even doing normal things such as doing the housework and food shopping.”

The family are very hopeful for Carina’s new heart, with a recent biopsy showing no signs of rejection.

Mrs Marcangelo said: “If we could say anything it would be how much the transplant means to us as a family. It is amazing that we can come home and be a family again.

“It would not have happened without that family who donated their child’s organs.”

The family said they want to do their best to help raise further awareness about organ donation and will attend a fun run for Great Ormond Street Hospital at Battersea Park on Sunday, June 9.

Mrs Marcangelo said: “It is such a sensitive subject and is very taboo. We are not saying you should sign your child up, we are saying just think about it. It is just to make sure people think about it and talk about it as a family.”