A teenager who survived five open-heart surgeries as a child is finally standing tall after undergoing a life-changing spinal operation.
Daisy Mai Osborne was born with a rare congenital heart defect and spent the first years of her life fighting for survival.
The 17-year-old also developed a curvature of the spine, meaning she’d need more surgery, putting extra pressure on her heart.
But Daisy Mai is now three inches taller, standing at 5ft 8in, and is breathing more freely while standing straighter than she has in years.
“I feel like this is a new beginning for me,” the teen, from Newquay, Cornwall, told Need To Know.
“I’ve lived for 17 years with complex medical challenges, so it’s been life-changing what this surgery has done, not just physically, but emotionally.
“I’m so grateful.
“I honestly can’t put into words how thankful I am.”
Her heart condition was first discovered during her mother Louisa’s routine 20-week pregnancy scan.
Louisa said: “When she was diagnosed with this rare heart condition, I remember feeling shocked and overwhelmed a mix of fear, worry, and sadness.
“But we were told the surgery she would need had a very high success rate, and everything felt as positive and well-managed as it could be.
“I had complete faith in Daisy Mai’s cardiology team, and she was under the care of a leading specialist children’s hospital.
“We were informed it was a very serious condition that needed urgent attention at birth, and we knew she would be closely monitored by a skilled medical team from the start.”
Due to the severity of the defect, Louisa was closely monitored for the remainder of the pregnancy.
When she was born full-term by C-section weighing 6lbs, Daisy Mai was taken straight to intensive care.
At just one-week-old she underwent her first open-heart surgery – the first of three operations she would face within her first week of life.
Louisa said: “Even though the hospital had prepared me for this throughout my pregnancy and I knew she would go straight to intensive care, it felt very surreal when it actually happened.
“It was scary, and no mother wants to be separated from her baby. Seeing her tiny body hooked up to monitors and wires was unnerving.
“The team that cared for her in intensive care were real-life angels our lifeline in a very worrying time.
“The nurses caring for Daisy Mai were a massive part of the journey, and without them, our family couldn’t have got through it.”
Complications meant Daisy required ECMO life support, a machine that temporarily takes over the work of the heart and lungs.
Louisa said: “We were in complete despair.
“No parent could ever feel anything but fear in that moment her life was literally hanging in the balance.
“However, her consultant and medical team made some of the most crucial decisions that ultimately saved her life, and we will be endlessly grateful to them for their care, skill, and dedication.
“Every birthday brings back memories of how harrowing that time was, but also deep gratitude for the way we were carried through it.”
Despite the traumatic start, Daisy Mai continued to fight through every challenge.
At nine months old, after another heart operation, she suffered a stroke, yet once again she recovered against the odds.
Her final major heart surgery came when she was five years old.
Thankfully, the procedure was a success and her heart has functioned as well as possible ever since.
However, another health battle was quietly developing.
Daisy Mai had been diagnosed with scoliosis as a baby and monitored closely throughout childhood.
By the time she was 11, doctors recommended she wear a brace around the clock to try to control the curve of her spine.
Because of Daisy Mai’s complex cardiac history, surgery was considered a last resort and the brace was used in the hope it would prevent the need for an operation.
She wore the brace diligently for years.
Daisy Mai said: “The brace was very challenging.
“It took a long time to adjust, and it wasn’t comfortable at all.
“But I knew that I would have to wear it, and I persevered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even at school.
“The braces are very carefully made and sit flush to the body, so no one could see them, but that didn’t make them any easier to wear.
“It was a hard road.
“I was scared of surgery and wanted to try everything I could to avoid it, so the brace was my way forward.
“In the end, as I approached my 16th birthday, I reached a point where I just couldn’t wear it anymore, and surgery became necessary but I faced every step with determination and courage.”
Louisa’s biggest fear was how her daughter’s fragile heart would cope with another major surgery this time involving her spine.
In May 2025, she underwent a complex nine-hour posterior spinal fusion.
During the surgery, surgeons inserted two rods and 22 screws to straighten and stabilise her spine, along with a costoplasty procedure that involved removing two ribs to help reshape her rib cage.
The results have been remarkable.
Daisy Mai said: “I felt extreme fear.
“I’d already been through so much medically, and this wasn’t something we took lightly as a family.
“My spine had become very curved.
“Although I wasn’t experiencing any pain from the curve, my body was visibly changing one shoulder was higher than the other, and my back was becoming uneven.
“I knew the surgery was important to protect my health long term, but it was still a really scary decision.
“The hardest part of recovery was managing the pain in those first few weeks and adjusting to how different my body felt.
“After surgery, they encourage you to get up and start moving quite quickly, which is important for recovery but it was tough.
“It felt strange having to relearn simple things like walking comfortably, standing for longer periods, and going up and down stairs.
“My body had been through major surgery, so everything took patience.
“It was a challenging time physically and mentally, but each small step felt like progress.
“Looking back now, I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”
Her recovery has been long and challenging, but her two prominent scars, one across her chest from open-heart surgery and another running down her spine, now stand as symbols of everything she has overcome.
Daisy Mai said: “The first moment I really saw the result was my mum’s reaction when the nurses were helping me get comfortable after surgery and adjusting my clothing.
“That’s when my mum saw my new body for the first time, and she couldn’t believe it an she started crying.
“We had been so focused on correcting my spine and protecting my health that the aesthetic side of the surgery was completely off our radar, so this truly blew our minds.
“My mum said, ‘Oh my God, Daisy, you look like a Barbie doll.’
“It’s a moment I will never forget seeing her face full of joy and amazement.”
Now returning to college, Daisy Mai hopes to build a future where she can help others.
Daisy Mai added: “I’m now 5ft 8.
“I gained nearly three inches in height, which was such an unexpected and amazing bonus.”
I’m excited about the future and focusing on building a career doing something I love.
“I see my scars as part of my story.
“It represents everything I’ve been through and how far I’ve come. I’m proud of them.”
Louisa added: “Modern medicine has kept our daughter alive through some of the most terrifying situations a family can face.
“To anyone going through similar battles trust your instincts.
“If something doesn’t feel right, speak up.
“Don’t just take no for an answer.
“Keep fighting and surround yourself with love your family and your friends.”
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