A COUPLE have spoken of their joy after their baby daughter finally arr­ived home following major open heart surgery.

And there was more good news this week when John and Mandy Colley of New Quay received a cheque for £600 from Aberystwyth Army Cadets to help care for baby Layla.

Layla, who was born at Bronglais Hospital on 2 October, has pulmonary hypertension which causes problems with her lungs.

The arteries in her heart are the wrong way, so blood that should be going to the lungs was going to the body and vice versa.

John said: “We didn’t know she had any issues, but when she was two-and-a-half hours old she went grey so was taken and put in an inc­ubator.

“They airlifted a team from Cardiff to Aberystwyth and she was then taken by road to Swansea, where they scanned her and she was then taken to Bristol.

“It’s good to finally be able to come back home, but there are going to be lots of hospital trips. She’s going to need regular trips to the hospital for checks.”

The cadets raised the money with a challenge involving sit-ups and push-ups organised by John’s friend and cadet instructor Sergeant Gerry.