Mason Symon-Loughman is a little fighter.
The cheeky chappy has been through far more than any toddler should go ever through - having already faced multiple life-saving operations on his heart.
But it hasn’t affected the 20-month-old’s spirit, and he has kept smiling throughout his ordeal.
“He is such a smiley, happy boy,” said his proud parents Samantha Symon and Michael Loughman, of Ormesby.
“Looking at him, you wouldn’t believe half of what he has been through.”
Samantha found out Mason had problems with his heart 18 weeks into her pregnancy.
She had been referred up to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle after concerns were uncovered, and medics there discovered Mason’s heart and aorta were the wrong way round, his pulmonary valve was narrow, there was a hole in the organ and it was not in the correct position as it was in the centre of his chest.
As a result, Samantha had to give birth to Mason at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle. He was then immediately transferred to the Freeman for life-saving treatment.
Just 13 days later, Mason underwent his first bout of heart surgery - having a BT shunt inserted. This is a temporary measure to improve blood flow until further surgery can be done.
Just a week later he was home and the family were required to take Mason for regular check-ups.
Then a month before his first birthday, they were told he needed more open heart surgery.
“His oxygen levels were at 50%,” said Samamtha, 20, also mum to three-month-old Charlie.
“We were told he needed a massive operation and so a week after his first birthday he had three heart procedures in one.
“It was the first time an operation of this type had been done in Newcastle on anyone that young before.”
On the operating table, Mason had the hole in his heart patched up, had his heart chambers switched so they were the right way round and had his aorta realigned. He also had a Glenn shunt inserted and the entire operation lasted 10 hours.
“They said it was touch and go for the first 24 hours,” said Sam, who works at Ladbrokes in Berwick Hills.
And it was, with Mason struggling to recover from the operation - resulting in him having to go for more surgery.
“They were trying to find out why he was not recovering,” said Sam.
“But when he went on the operating table, he had a cardiac arrest. He also suffered a stroke.
“Three parts of his brain were damaged and the left side of his body was affected.”
Efforts to aid Mason recovery then continued, but he had breathing problems and doctors were struggling to get him off a ventilator.
As a result, the decision was then made to insert a tracheostomy - an opening created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe.
It has enabled oxygen to be delivered to Mason’s lungs and for him to be well enough to return home.
“He was so poorly but everything that has been done has been to save his life,” said Samantha.
“If it wasn’t for the tracheostomy, he was never going to be off the ventilator.”
In total, Mason was in hospital for seven months - four-and-a-half at the Freeman and the remaining time at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
It was there that he had physiotherapy to get him crawling and on his feet.
“He has come on leaps and bounds,” said Samantha. “The physio was amazing.
“He is doing things we were not sure we would ever see him do.
“Looking at him, you just wouldn’t know what he has been through.”
Samantha, is now getting behind our Help Save a Life campaign which supports the South Cleveland Heart Fund.
The charity is currently trying to raise £1m for a major upgrade of one MRI scanner at James Cook and the replacing of another.
“Mason had three MRIs up in Newcastle and if it wasn’t for them, they wouldn’t have known what was wrong with him.
“Each one has pinpointed why he wasn’t well. They are so important.”
As for Mason, he is now off a feeding tube but requires numerous types of medication on a daily basis. He is also connected to a oxygen saturation devise on a night which warns Samantha and Micheal if his oxygen level drops.
Eventually, it is likely he will need more surgery. Mason even faces the possibility of requiring a heart transplant in years to come.
But for now, the toddler is a picture of happiness and loves nothing more than playing in his playroom with his little brother.
Proud dad Michael, 23, who works at Teesport, said: “You can’t describe how it all felt when you look back.
“But look at him now, always smiling. He is amazing.”
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