Grateful parents have thanked a hospital which saved their newborn baby daughter’s life after she was given less than a 40 per cent chance of surviving.

Little Laura Wanowicz needed emergency open heart surgery when she was just two weeks old.

Mum Dorota Figiela and dad Rafal Wanowicz, from Braintree, first found out something was wrong with their unborn baby at the 20-week scan.

Tests showed she had a condition called tetralogy of Fallot – a combination of four heart defects.

HGV driver Rafal, 35, said: “We knew she would need an operation between six and nine months after birth, but our daughter decided to have one after two weeks.

“Laura was born two weeks early.

She was in a hurry and arrived on July 17, three days before she was supposed to be induced.

“We had time at home afterwards because they wanted to operate between six and nine months, then after two weeks we went to see the Braintree midwives to be signed off.

“They noticed something was wrong and sent us to Broomfield Hospital. There were a lot of people straight away – about 15 doctors and nurses.”

Laura was rushed to London’s Royal Brompton Hospital by ambulance, where she had open heart surgery which took four hours.

Luckily, specialist surgeon Dr Olivier Ghez had returned from Dubai for just two weeks and was able to lead the operation.

Laura’s heart stopped twice after the operation and her chest was reopened and left for five days while she recovered.

Rafal said: “She was given a 40 per cent chance of survival. They were not sure if she would make it.

“We spent four weeks in Royal Brompton before going back to Broomfield Hospital for two or three days and we came home on Saturday.”

Laura’s parents have now raised more than £1,000 for the Royal Brompton.

Dorota raised the cash with hubby Rafal for her 33rd birthday.

Rafal added: “I would just like to say thank you to the Braintree midwives, Broomfield Hospital and Royal Brompton Hospital.”