Parents Fight for Baby Myles' Broken Heart at 5 Months Old

When Prescily and Caleb George learned their unborn son had a "broken heart" at their 20-week scan, they faced an impossible choice. Their baby Myles had hypoplastic right heart syndrome, a rare condition where only one side of his heart works properly.

Doctors gave them three options: end the pregnancy, provide comfort care after birth, or attempt a series of high-risk surgeries. The Palmerston North couple chose to fight.

Five months later, Myles has never gone home from Auckland's hospital. Born near cardiac specialists who could save his life, the baby boy has already undergone one open-heart surgery with more to come.

His parents were told Myles could live a relatively normal life if the surgeries succeed. "I just wanted to give him a chance," Prescily, a nurse herself, told reporters.

But the journey hit a major roadblock recently. Myles' pulmonary artery shrank due to lack of blood flow, making the next surgery impossible right now. Doctors are waiting to see if treatments can help his tiny heart grow enough for the operation.

The family faces either months more in hospital until Myles turns one, or the heartbreaking possibility of palliative care. Meanwhile, Prescily lives at the hospital while Caleb drives their two daughters, ages 5 and 3, from Palmerston North to Auckland every two weeks.

The separation weighs heavily. "It was really isolating and really sad missing out on all the big stuff my kids were going through," Prescily said.

Then came something even harder than the medical challenges. An anonymous message asked why she even continued the pregnancy, given all the suffering. Prescily didn't respond to the cruelty, but the judgment stung.

Why This Inspires

What makes this story remarkable isn't just a family's determination. It's how they're using their pain to help others understand what families with heart babies endure.

Despite looking like a healthy baby when he's off oxygen, Myles represents thousands of children whose struggles are invisible from the outside. Heart Kids NZ, the charity supporting the Georges, serves these families without any government funding.

Prescily wants people to know that behind every heart baby is a whole family navigating fear and hope together. This Friday's Little Heart Day raises awareness and funds so no family walks this journey alone.

And Myles? He's a happy, curious baby who absolutely adores his big sisters. His family describes him as thriving in his own way, fighting his own fight.

The Georges continue to hold onto hope, supported by medical staff, fellow believers they've met at the hospital, and a community rallying around their little warrior.