By Tom Barton

19 Aug, 2002

Page 13

TWO weeks ago doctors turned off Frankie Owen's life support machine and told her parents that she would probably not survive.

But now the 18-month-old is coming off the critical list, and has opened her eyes for the first time in weeks.

The toddler, from Ln Cwm, Llandrindod Wells, went through a dangerous aortic valve bypass operation, and days later was rushed back into theatre for a nine -hour emergency operation to unblock an artery.

The procedures, at Bristol Children's Hospital, were Frankie's only chance of survival, having suffered from heart problems since birth.

At one point the youngster's skin had turned blue and started to peel.

Frankie's parents, Katey and Andrew Owen, had maintained a 24-hour vigil at her bedside since the operation on July 24.

Mrs Owen said: 'We are happy and pleased Frankie is still fighting. We realise though that she still has a very long way to go. We are just taking a day at a time. We just keep waiting and hoping.'

But Mrs Owen, who has had to deal with being told her baby would probably not survive, is now a hospital in-patient, having suffered a severe stress-related asthma attack.

In July, Mr and Mrs Owen were appealing for urgent treatment for their daughter after being told that without surgery she would die.

They even claimed that their telephone calls to the hospital were being ignored at one stage until they went public with their plight.

Frankie had been due to have surgery at the Bristol hospital last February, but the procedure was cancelled when her condition deteriorated.

After two complex operations, however, the parents were told that nothing more could be done for Frankie and her life-support machine was switched off.

Four days after the machine was switched off, Frankie was still fighting for her life, and doctors put in a chest drain after one of her lungs collapsed.

Frankie had been on muscle relaxant drugs for so long that her stomach would not work properly and she had to be fed a special formula.

Doctors are said to be amazed that Frankie is slowly recovering and now doctors at the hospital have said she may well make a full recovery, and described her condition as seriously ill but stable.