Schoolgirl, 5, left paralysed after suffering stroke during open heart surgery

A five-year-old schoolgirl was left paralysed after she suffered a rare during open heart surgery.

Grace Grogan was born with half a heart and has undergone numerous operations in her short lifetime. But she was left paralysed down her right side after her fourth procedure at Queen Elizabeth University in Glasgow on October 17.

Medics later found a blood clot in her brain had led to a . Parents Vicky Connal, 37, and Ricky Grogan, 36, were told Grace would never be the same little girl. Surgeons needed to remove half of Grace's skull in order to reduce the swelling and save her life.

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Devastated mum Vicky said: “There was a 4 per cent chance of a risk occurring during surgery. The blood clot hadn’t presented itself during or immediately after surgery. She went to ICU post op and the stroke was detected 17 hours later."

Grace's aunt Eileen Grogan was in tears as she told : "This was supposed to be her final open heart surgery but things didn't go to plan. The prognosis at the start was really good but afterwards she wasn't responding normally.

"Grace was paralysed down the right-hand side. She was taken for a CT scan which found a blood clot in her brain had led to a stroke. Then we we were told that the little girl we had brought into the hospital wasn't the same one we would be taking home again."

The schoolgirl underwent emergency compression surgery - where medics removed some of her brain and skull to alleviate the swelling and further risk of another stroke. The operation involved placing some of her skull being put into her stomach in order to preserve the bone for later.

Eileen, 39, added: "We were called in to say our goodbyes because it was touch and go whether or not she would survive the brain surgery. She had been rushed in after she stopped being as responsive with doctors. They removed part of her skull to relieve pressure and swelling."

Grace survived the three-hour surgery and had several responsive days since. While she could not communicate and had no movement on her right-hand side, she was able to recognise family members and is getting stronger by the day.

"Grace was getting really upset and crying a lot because she can't communicate, but she has managed to give us high fives, blow kisses, and draw a picture", Eileen said. "Now we just have to wait and see. There is no way to know how long her recovery will take. We are really hopeful she will keep taking baby steps, and eventually, she may not be paralysed.

"For the first three months of her life, she was in hospital, and there was a slim chance of her surviving. She went through two open heart surgeries within the first couple months of her life and a further one four years ago.

"She is our wee angel. We hope she continues to improve. As a family, we have been at her side every day and will continue to be there throughout her recovery. No one can understand the pain her parents are going through - the weeks and months ahead are going to be very hard for them."

While the events have been heartbreaking for the family, Vicky praised the team of medics who worked to save Grace. She said: "Ricky and I owe our lives to these doctors and surgeons. The hospital staff have done everything for our girl.”

An spokesperson told the outlet: “We understand that this is a challenging time for Grace and her family, and we continue to support them in Grace’s rehabilitation journey. We cannot comment further on this case due to confidentiality.”

A fundraiser has been set up to support Grace's parents during this uncertain time. You can learn more about the fundraiser .