Child Born with Heart Outside Chest Becomes Solitary Survivor Thanks to Surgical Procedure Invented for Her
By Andy Corbley – Apr 28, 2025
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Their patient was Vanellope Wilkins, the solitary survivor known to British medicine of ectopia cordis, a condition where a fetus develops with its heart outside its body.
Over a period of 9 hours, the team which included visiting surgeons from London would form a protective cage around Vanellope’s heart by reforming her ribs, and though her team included some of the best pediatric surgeons in the country, the procedure had never been done before, and was invented specifically for Vanellope’s case.
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Team of 50 are all heroes in my book. Saving a life, creating a unique approach, and following thru for 7 years is heroic in my book.
Compared to all the abortions performed for “convenience” makes this effort a statement about the value of human life.
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Reinke Faces Life 