Our baby’s grunting noises were dismissed as normal – she was hours from death and needed a new heart to live

A MUM has told how a subtle sign that doctors initially dismissed was actually an indication that her seven-week-old daughter was in heart failure. Stephanie Mulhall-Atkinson, 38, noticed that her daughter Sloane was making an unusual grunting noise shortly after she was born, but she was told this was normal. When baby Sloane made a strange grunting sound soon after she was born, her mum wondered what it could be Credit: Cover Images The symptom was dismissed, but weeks later the baby was rushed back to hospital and her parents were told she was in heart failure Credit: Cover Images But a few weeks later, Sloane suddenly stopped feeding, became unusually unsettled and developed a faint blue line around her mouth. Stephanie rushed her to hospital but thought that she and her partner Justin, 34, would simply be sent home for being overly cautious new parents. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! But sadly, Sloane’s condition rapidly deteriorated and she was taken to the intensive care unit. There, her parents were told that their baby’s heart was “severely enlarged and barely beating” and that she was in heart failure. Doctors diagnosed Sloane with dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure caused by a genetic mutation known as TPM1. The left side of her heart was functioning at around 12 per cent, while the enlarged organ filled most of her chest, pressing against her lungs and other organs. Stephanie and Justin were told their baby girl would need a heart transplant, and she ended up spending 408 days in hospital. Speaking about the ordeal, Stephanie said: “We were told we had saved her life by bringing her in and that, if we hadn’t taken her that day, she probably wouldn’t have made it.” Most read in Health “We were taken into a room with several doctors and specialists and told, ‘at this point, we are pretty certain that she requires a heart transplant in order to survive’. “We were told she 100 per cent needed a transplant.” Sloane’s parents Justin and Stephanie thought they were just being overly cautious new parents when they initially rushed her to hospital Credit: Cover Images But Sloane had to be intubated in an intensive care unit after her condition deteriorated Credit: Cover Images Sloane was born by an emergency C-section on October 16 2024 and her parents thought she was a healthy baby. But by November 20 she had been rushed to hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia at just six and a half weeks old. More than 20 doctors, nurses and specialists crowded around her and Sloane was soon intubated in a paediatric intensive care unit. After being told she would need a heart transplant, Sloane was transferred across Canada to the Hospital for Sick Children, known as SickKids, in Toronto, Ontario. At nine weeks old, she was connected to a Berlin Heart – an external mechanical pump that took over the work of the failing left side of her heart by moving blood around her body. This helped Sloane to grow stronger while she waited for a suitable donor organ, but the machine did not come without its own risks. Doctors found blood clots inside the pump on more than one occasion, which could have caused a stroke if they had broken free and travelled into her body. Describing this waiting period, Stephanie, who runs her own business coaching creatives, said: “It was scary, heart-shattering, and filled with unknowns. “Things could change so quickly. Every time something seemed wrong with her, panic immediately set in.” Sloane had to stay in hospital to be connected to the pump, so she met many milestones in her room there, learning to crawl, talk and play. Sloane was attached to an external mechanical pump that kept her heart going at just nine weeks old Credit: @warriorgirlsloane/Cover Images Sloane spent her first birthday and two Christmases in hospital while she waited for a new heart Credit: Cover Images She celebrated her first birthday and two Christmases on the ward and went more than a year without a proper bath because of the tubes connecting her to the device. “She grew up in the hospital. Her nurses, doctors, and long-term patient friends became like her family,” Stephanie said. “She was happy, chatty, curious, and always moving. We knew that once she was free from the pump, she would be running.” Due to Sloane’s age, doctors had warned that it could take up to a year to find a heart small enough for her. In total, she spent 408 days in hospital, 389 days supported by the Berlin Heart, and 379 days on the transplant list. When the long-awaited news of a new heart finally came, Stephanie almost missed the call. She said: “I looked at my phone and saw I had missed a call from SickKids, but we had been waiting so long that it didn’t cross my mind it could be the call. “My stomach dropped when I saw the head of transplant standing with the cardiology fellow.” The mum was told that doctors had accepted a heart for Sloane and that the surgery could take place later that day at around midnight. Describing the moment, Stephanie said: “We were shaking and crying. It was gratitude mixed with sadness, fear, and relief. “We had waited for someone to say yes and, in the middle of their worst nightmare, they did. They saved our girl. “We went into hospital with a tiny newborn and came out with a toddler. It was weird and wonderful.” She finally got a transplant this January and is now back at home Credit: Cover Images Heart failure: Signs, symptoms and treatment Symptoms of heart failure Breathlessness after activity or at rest Feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise exhausting Feeling lightheaded or fainting Swollen ankles and legs Some people also experience other symptoms, such as a persistent cough, a fast heart rate and dizziness. Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure). When to get medical advice See a GP if you experience persistent or gradually worsening symptoms of heart failure. Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E department as soon as possible if you have sudden or very severe symptoms. Treatments for heart failure Treatment for heart failure usually aims to control the symptoms for as long as possible and slow down the progression of the condition. How you’re treated will depend on what is causing your heart failure. Common treatments include: lifestyle changes – including eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and stopping smoking medicine – a range of medicines can help; many people need to take 2 or 3 different types devices implanted in your chest – these can help control your heart rhythm surgery – such as a bypass operation or a heart transplant Treatment will usually be needed for life. A cure may be possible when heart failure has a treatable cause. For example, if your heart valves are damaged, replacing or repairing them may cure the condition. Postpartum cardiomyopathy This rare form of heart failure occurs in the last month of pregnancy, or up to five months after giving birth The symptoms include tiredness, shortness of breath, swollen ankles, swollen neck veins, and feeling of missed heartbeats or palpitations. Sloane underwent her transplant on January 13, 2026, aged 15 months. The operation was a success, and she was extubated in the operating theatre before being transferred to intensive care. Just four days later, she was discharged with her new heart working perfectly. Sloane is now 22 months old and can run around without tubes or a machine attached to her. After initially being frightened of having a bath because she had not experienced one since she was six weeks old, she now asks for one after dinner. The family have set up a GoFundMe page to help them with their finances while they took time off work to be with Sloane. They have shared Sloane’s recovery journey on Instagram, which amazingly allowed the mother of the little boy whose heart was donated to find the family. The families have so far only chatted on social media, but Stephanie and Justin hope to meet them in person one day. The mum said: “They are kind, loving, and incredibly gracious. “We are heartbroken by their loss and in awe of their courage. “In their worst moment, they said yes. We will honour their sweet baby every single moment moving forward. “He is our hero.” Comment now