Family 'thought everything was fine' before newborn baby was given heartbreaking diagnosis

A newborn baby is facing a race against time to live after being rushed into hospital at just four weeks old.

Now aged five months, Leyla Bell has spent more of her life in hospital than at home with her family.

When she returned home with her mother Savana, 32, everything seemed fine - all the checks in the hospital had come back clear.

Then Leyla developed a rash on her chest.

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Her family are now in desperate need of a heart transplant for their newborn who they say is on ‘borrowed time'.

The youngster, from Heywood, has been diagnosed with a rare condition that has left the side of her heart weak and 'spongy'.

Speaking to the MEN Savana said: “She was born on September 2, I had a healthy pregnancy, but she was 15 days late born by emergency C-section.

“She had a chest x-ray at birth which showed no issues, she went home, everything was fine and on October 1 I noticed a rash on her chest.

“So I rang the GP, got an appointment and when I got there she lost her voice, and the rash was gone.

"But she had what they called increase worker breathing so she sent us to Oldham Royal, and they sent us home saying it was basically just a cold.

“Then on the Monday, she had a bottle in the morning but wouldn’t have anything else throughout the day, which is very unlike her.

“I rang 111 they sent a first responder but she looked worse so before they arrived, I rang 999 and we were transferred to North Manchester general, they did a chest x-ray and that showed an enlarged heart and liver."

After an inspection from specialists, Leyla was transferred to Royal Manchester Children's hospital for an echocardiogram.

Just four weeks