BORN WITH HER HEART OUTSIDE HER CHEST, THIS LITTLE GIRL DEFIED THE ODDS — EIGHT YEARS LATER, SHE CAN FINALLY PLAY WITHOUT THE SAME FEAR

When Naomi Findlay attended a pregnancy scan at just nine weeks, doctors discovered something extraordinary about her unborn daughter: the baby’s heart was developing outside her chest.

The condition, known as ectopia cordis, is exceptionally rare and often life-threatening. Naomi and her partner, Dean Wilkins, were warned that their daughter’s chances of survival were extremely small.

But on November 22, 2017, baby Vanellope Hope Wilkins entered the world at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, England — and began an extraordinary medical journey.

Nearly eight years later, a pioneering operation would give her heart something it had never fully had before: a solid, protective chest wall.

A Diagnosis No Parent Expects

During the early pregnancy scan, doctors discovered that Vanellope’s heart and part of her stomach were developing outside her body.

Her parents were counselled about the grave prognosis and their pregnancy options. They chose to continue the pregnancy while a specialist medical team prepared for her delivery.

For months, they lived with uncertainty, knowing that even surviving birth would be an enormous challenge for their daughter.

Her First Surgery Came Within an Hour of Birth

Vanellope was delivered prematurely by Caesarean section on November 22, 2017.

Immediately after birth, medical staff protected her exposed heart with sterile material and prepared her for intensive treatment.

She underwent her first operation before she was an hour old.

Over the following weeks, surgeons performed further procedures to create space inside her chest and gradually position her heart within her body.

Because she lacked the normal protective structures at the front of her chest, doctors used surgical mesh and skin to cover the vulnerable organ.

Her survival was regarded as an exceptional achievement by the medical team.

Growing Up With a Heart That Needed Protection

Vanellope survived infancy and continued growing under the care of specialists at University Hospitals of Leicester.

However, her medical journey was far from over.

Without a conventional protective chest wall, she needed to wear a special brace to shield her heart from accidental injury.

For her mother, even ordinary childhood activities could bring anxiety.

Behind every milestone was the question of how to keep her daughter safe while allowing her to experience childhood.

An Eight-Hour Operation Changes Everything

On April 16, 2025, a multidisciplinary surgical team performed a groundbreaking operation at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

During the eight-hour procedure, specialists used a heart-lung support machine while carefully reconstructing Vanellope’s chest.

Surgeons worked with her ribs to create a solid protective structure around her heart.

The operation was described by the hospital as a UK first for a patient with her unusual condition.

It represented the culmination of years of careful monitoring, planning and collaboration between specialists.

In 2026, A Mother Shares a Different Kind of Milestone

In an update published on April 22, 2026, University Hospitals of Leicester reported that Vanellope’s family and medical team were celebrating the successful outcome one year after surgery.

Her mother, Naomi, explained that her daughter’s life had changed significantly.

With her heart now protected, Vanellope could enjoy activities such as swimming and jumping on a trampoline without the same constant concern about accidental injury.

For a child born with her heart outside her chest, these seemingly ordinary moments represented something extraordinary.

Vanellope’s journey began with a diagnosis that left her family facing enormous uncertainty. Today, her story continues through the childhood experiences she can finally enjoy more freely.

Sources: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, April 22, 2026 and April 23, 2025; ITV News, December 13, 2017.