The tot needed a lifesaving operation just days after she was born, and spent weeks in intensive care after doctors discovered she had a rare heart condition.

This week her parents, Simon and Sarah, of Potton Road, Wrestlingworth, said they were amazed how the community had rallied round.

As soon as Joy Buchanan-Self and Ash Self, who run the Chequers pub, learned of Cerys's plight, they organised a series of fundraisers, collecting £545 for Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Cerys was treated.

Describing her daughter as a "miracle", Sarah, 32, said: "It was lovely to think that people were thinking about us.

"It's just really nice that people know about Cerys and they care about her and as she starts to grow up she will have everyone supporting her.

"It's just such a lovely community here everyone has been so supportive."

And Sarah added: "We have a fantastic support network, we just feel so positive about the whole thing and we have our beautiful baby girl. She's a miracle."

Tiny Cerys, who is now six months old, was born with a serious heart condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and when she was just three days old she had to undergo open heart surgery.

Cerys was diagnosed with the life-threatening condition, which means she only has half a heart, when Sarah went for her 20-week scan.

As soon as she was born she was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital where she had her first major operation at just three days old.

She spent 11 weeks in total in intensive care where her devoted parents kept a constant vigil.

During that time they were allowed to take her home for a week, but were called urgently back to the hospital for Cerys to have a second operation when she was eight weeks old.

Cerys is now back home and at 18 months old she will have to undergo her third and hopefully final operation.

Although her condition cannot be cured, her heart can be made to work through the three operations that re-plumb the heart allowing the right side to do all the work.

Sarah also praised the charity Little Hearts Matter, which helped her and Simon when they first found out about the condition, as well as Keech Cottage Children's Hospice in Luton.

For the full story pick up a copy of Friday, November 27 edition of the Biggleswade Chronicle