Ref. 11393/2GAZETTE & HERALD: The family of little Beth Picter hope a major operation due to take place next week will transform the life of their daughter who was born with a rare heart problem and a chromosone condition which has affected her growth.

DEBBIE WAITE spoke to them about their heartache and hopes.

IT will be a fraught weekend for the family of tiny Beth Picter who enters hospital next week for potentially life-saving open heart surgery.

Beth, 19 months, of Sherington Mead, Chippenham, was born with a rare heart abnormality, which has resulted in a hole in her heart and the gradual narrowing of her pulmonary artery.

At just five months old, Beth underwent keyhole surgery to insert a shunt into the artery to stop blood leaking outwards.

But her condition is gradually worsening, leading her to suffer 'blue spells' when not enough oxygen is pumped to her heart.

Last week, her frightened parents Rod and Julie, 34, revealed how Beth passed out in her father's arms.

"She was playing with her brother Ryan and started crying and when Rod picked her up, she just passed out," said Mrs Picter, 34.

"It was incredibly frightening, but the hospital monitored her and soon she was okay again it's one of the symptoms of her condition.

It was this latest scare which prompted surgeons at Bristol Children's Hospital to bring her operation forward from its planned date in early April.

"We are very anxious about it," said Mrs Picter.

"The surgeon has told us it is the biggest operation he carries out on a child of Beth's age, but although we are frightened by the enormity of it, we are relieved that it is now going ahead."

Beth will be connected up to a heart by-pass machine while surgeons carry out a painstaking four-hour operation to widen her artery and increase the blood flow to her tiny heart.

The surgical shunt will also be removed from her heart and a kink in the artery leading from her heart to her left lung will also be repaired.

She will then enter intensive care for the start of her long recuperation and a ventilator will help her to breathe until she can do it freely for herself.

"It will be a very fraught week," said Mr Picter.

"The coming weeks will also be difficult, but although we are all very scared, we know she is in very good hands.

"I will be coming back and forth from the hospital, caring for our two sons, Ryan and Joe, while Julie will stay with Beth throughout her recovery.

"We have had so much support from our family and friends throughout this and they've all been volunteering to help out," he added.

"But all we want to do is get it over and done with and hope that our daughter can go on to lead a normal life."

In addition to her damaged heart Beth also suffers from the rare chromosome condition, DiGeorge Syndrome, which has damaged her immune system, affected her growth and makes it difficult for her body to digest food.

Complications, including chest infections in recent month meant her operation was delayed, but Mrs Picter is now hoping everything will go to plan.

"She will receive all the appropriate tests on Monday and the operation is scheduled for Wednesday.

"The surgeon has to patch her hole and cut muscle away where her narrowing is, and he has explained there is a chance she could end up with what they call a leaky valve from doing this, but he won't be able to tell us that whether this has happened until after the operation.

"If it does leak she will have to have open heart surgery again later on in her life to replace the valve.

"We're obviously hoping that this won't happen and that this operation will in effect, fix her heart.

"It's going to be worrying and stressful, but although her condition is up and down at the moment, she is completely unaware of what is about to happen to her.

"She's a little fighter.

"We're just hoping that one day we'll be able to show all her all the pictures of her in hospital and she'll have no memory of what she's been through."