Rebekah and her parents Sarah and Bruce Riddell are part of the Heart Kids community in Nelson. It was the “best news ever” – their daughter’s heart condition was treatable and the diagnosis of a genetic disorder was not going to threaten her life. She was one of the 12 babies that are born every week in New Zealand with a heart defect. Heart Kids chief executive Mark Longbottom​ said many heart kids would face day-to-day challenges associated with their heart condition for the rest of their lives. A congenital heart defect is the most common birth defect, affecting 1 in every 100 births.

Source: Stuff June 08, 2021 17:15 UTC