A COUPLE say they have felt “every emotion” after discovering their first baby could have a dangerous heart defect and will need emergency surgery days after birth.

Lucy Nichols and Jake Lawrence were delighted when they found out they were expecting their baby girl, Rylee-Hope.

The couple, from Great Bentley, have been together for two years and baby Rylee-Hope is due to be born this week.

But 20 weeks into Lucy’s pregnancy, the couple discovered their baby had a potentially dangerous heart defect.

Known as aortic coarctation it restricts the amount of blood being pumped around the body.

As soon as baby Rylee-Hope is born she will be whisked off for open heart surgery.

Jake and Lucy, both 21, do not know the extent of their baby’s condition. They found out they were expecting their first child in January and at first there were no complications.

Jake said: “Following a routine scan at 20 weeks at Clacton Hospital they found it difficult to look at her heart so we were told we would be referred to a different hospital.

“About 24 hours later we were told we had an appointment at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital.

“The following day we found out about the coarctation and that she had a hole in her heart and we were going to have to go for regular heart checks.

“A few weeks later we were told as well as all the other symptoms there maybe something wrong with her heart valves as well and that all maternity care was to happen in London, so that means a lot of travelling.”

When they found out they were both distraught.

Jake added: “Almost every emotion piled into one but we had hope and we knew we would get through anything thrown at our family and come out stronger.

“As for the future it’s uncertain because they still have to do further tests on baby Rylee when she is born but we do know she is in safe hands.”

When she is born, Rylee-Hope will be taken straight to the Royal Brompton Hospital for surgery.

The couple are expecting to be in hospital for up to six months, as they fear it may be worse than it appears and further surgeries may be needed.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money to support Rylee and the family through the first few months of her life.

It is not known what impact the condition will have on Rylee-Hope as she grows up but the couple want to give her the best start in life.

Jake added: “Once Rylee-Hope is born she will be put on prostin to keep her heart open and be transferred to the Royal Brompton Hospital for testing and to have open heart surgery within days of life. We are expecting to be in hospital for up to six months as it may be worse than we see now.”

Visit gofundme.com/f/baby-rylee039s-support-fund.