A BABY boy is flourishing after life-saving heart surgery using parts from a cow.

Noa Gwilym Pritchard of Penygroes was born on 10 February this year with Holt-Oram syndrome, a genetic diseases that affects just one person in 100,000.

People with the syndrome have abnormally developed bones in their upper limbs and often suffer with cardiac problems.

Just days after being born, little Noa (pictured) was operated on at Alder Hey Hospital near Liverpool, a hospital which specialises in treating severely sick children.

The surgeons at the hospital managed to repair Noa’s heart with “both human and bovine parts” and his heart is now “near perfect”.

Eight-month-old Noa is now “flourishing” according to his proud mother, Elen Pritchard, a former geography teacher at Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn.

“It has become obvious that it is the rare syndrome Holt-Oram which is the cause of Noa’s problems with his arms and his heart,” Elen told the Cambrian News.

“Operations on his arms will come, but we have learnt from this little boy that suffering is short-lived and that life and the blessing of having him is long-lasting.

“The light at the end of a dark tunnel is very dim, but his smile is dazzling and hope carries the day.”