"WHEN I was pregnant, I was told my gorgeous baby had a congenital heart defect (CHD) and probably wouldn't live past his fifth birthday.

"My pregnancy was difficult and Rhys was born three weeks early. I lost a lot of blood during the birth which made me very weak and I was unable to see my son for three days. This was heartbreaking knowing that I could not put my arms around my poorly little baby when he needed me most.

"Rhys was born with a hole in his heart, the muscle around his valves is thickened and he has a small right ventricle.

"To our surprise, he did really well when he was born and his body adapted to the way his heart functions.

"When it was time to leave the hospital and to take Rhys home, I realised, I'm not just Teresa a regular 21-year-old mum. I was a heart mum!

"Since he was born I have joined support groups such as Heartline where I get the chance to speak to other parents who have children with CHDs and find comfort in this.

"I do realise that I'm a lucky heart mum, because my son's heart condition doesn't affect him as much as some other children. He's not tube fed, he puts on weight well, he hasn't had any operations and I can hold him in my arms, unlike so many other families who were not so fortunate.

"Being a mum means so much to me. Like the first time my son smiled, laughed. The first word he said, the time he crawled and the first time he slept in a cot.

"Being a heart mum, however, means so much more to me as the bond with my child is extra special.

"As every heart parent would tell you, it is a constant worry as a heart child cannot run around like a non-heart child and a simple bug could be a lot more serious.

"I check my son a million times a night to make sure his chest is still moving.

"It is CHD Awareness Week which focuses on getting the message across that heart defects are the number one killer in babies and children."