Hoppers Crossing mother Bronte Santos said she still feels “quite blessed“ that she gets to wake up to her son Arlo’s smile every morning after a long battle against hypoplastic right heart syndrome and other complications.
“He is literally a walking miracle,“ she said.
Arlo is one of the ambassadors for the Royal Children’s Hospital’s 2023 Good Friday Appeal and visited the Hoppers Crossing CFA fire station on Friday, March 31, receiving the honour of being named an honorary member of the fire brigade.
Arlo’s parents Bronte and Romi discovered there was something wrong with his heart at their 23-week ultrasound scan, with the scan showing Arlo’s heart had not fully formed on the right side.
Bronte said while Arlo is suffering PTSD and anxiety from his time at the hospital and is awaiting his final surgery, he is now happy and healthy.
“I’m just so grateful that we have such a world-class hospital so close to us,“ she said.
Details: www.goodfridayappeal.com.au
