A SCHOOLGIRL who needs a hole in her heart repaired has received some surprising and happy news – open heart surgery for her is scheduled tomorrow (Friday).

The dramatic intervention from Birmingham Children’s Hospital comes after the Hereford Times launched an appeal to raise £25,000 for little Ava Bailey’s operation.

Her family had initially been told she would face an 18-month wait during a crucial period of a childhood for the essential operation.

Struggling with fatigue and limiting her ability to live a life like any other girl her age, Ava’s mum prepared to raise the funds to skip the waiting list and speed up her daughter’s operation.

Becky Bailey, currently working in the coronavirus vaccine rollout, said it was a “miracle” that the hospital had been in touch offering Ava a place for the open-heart surgery to repair the 27-millimetre hole tomorrow.

It means the operation will be done on the NHS, with the £25,000 to go private and get the job done immediately no longer needed.

Mrs Bailey, 38, vowed that donations to the Hereford Times Fix Ava’s Heart campaign would be refunded through gofundme.com.

Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital said: “We always try to get children seen as quickly as possible and on some occasions we have more spaces become available for appointments and surgeries.

“This was the case with Ava’s open-heart surgery. The nine-year-old was on our surgical waiting list. However, a surgery slot became available and was offered to Ava, meaning her operation is now due to take place this week.”

Mrs Bailey said the slot for the operation wouldn’t not be officially confirmed until Thursday.

She said it was a “miracle” the wait had disappeared, and if the operation goes ahead tomorrow, she will feel as if she’s kept her promise of fixing Ava’s heart.