Rose Fleet, who was born with serious heart defects has survived against all the odds.

But when 23-year-old disabled Rose, of Dundale Road, was admitted to hospital in September with a deadly infection her family thought she would die within months and began planning her funeral.

She was suffering with endocarditis, a bacterial infection in her heart.

Her mum Polly Fleet-Palmer said: "She was extremely and dangerously ill. Her hair was falling out in handfuls, she wasn't eating."

Other symptoms included chronic diarrhoea, blue fingernails, toenails and lips, and breathlessness. Mrs Fleet-Palmer described her daughter as having lost all interest in life.

And when six weeks of strong antibiotics did not clear the infection the only other option was complicated surgery.

But Mrs Fleet-Palmer and Rose's father, Nigel decided they did not want to put their sick daughter through another gruelling operation. Mrs Fleet-Palmer said: "We agreed that surgery was too risky and not worth it."

She had to break the news to their 17-year-old son AJ that his older sister was dying.

AJ, who is studying for A Levels at Tring School has always been close to Rose. Mrs Fleet-Palmer said: "He was absolutely distraught."

But Rose astonished everyone by slowly getting better by herself without any medication and the doctor dealing with her case described it as a miracle.

After two-and-a-half months in the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital, Rose was discharged on November 15.

Today Mrs Fleet-Palmer says her daughter looks healthier than ever.

She said: "It's wonderful she is home for Christmas and new year. She has always been a very determined, wilful and 'in your face' person.
"She has defied death for the seventh time.

"We are a Christian family. Jesus' birth was a miracle and Rose is our Christmas miracle."

Since being born Rose has endured countless operations, including open heart surgery when she was eight years old at Harefield Hospital, which left her severely brain damaged.

Days after the massive operation doctors realised something was seriously wrong and a CT Scan revealed mass cerebral trauma. However, it has never been established exactly what caused the damage and Rose has not received any compensation.

Before the operation Rose was a bright youngster who attended mainstream school. But since the surgery she
has needed round-the-clock care.

Despite this she has learnt to walk again and although she cannot talk she is able to communicate with her family by making different noises.


How Rose has escaped death
1. While pregnant with Rose, Mrs Fleet-Palmer suffered with severe
pre-eclampsia. Rose stopped growing and moving. Doctors feared they would have to chose between saving mother or baby. When Rose was born she was not breathing and was given oxygen.

2. In the first week after her birth she stopped breathing and had to be given oxygen.

3. During the first few weeks of her life at home Rose was continuously crying and going blue. Admitted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital with severe
cardiac failure, at three weeks old she was
diagnosed with seven different heart defects.

4. At five years old,
after having a heart
operation, Rose was rushed back into surgery suffering from profuse
internal bleeding.

5. In June 1992 Rose underwent major open heart bypass surgery lasting five hours during which she suffered massive brain damage. This was her eighth surgical procedure and her 28th hospital admission.

6. In 2000 Rose
contracted clostridium
difficile and was in
hospital for six weeks.

7. In 2007 Rose was
admitted to hospital with endocarditis.