A BABY who doctors said could be killed by a cold has battled through a ‘touch-and-go’ life-saving operation.

Oswaldtwistle tot Carson Hartley was born with Tetralogy of Fallot - known as blue baby syndrome or ToF, with a hole in his heart and unformed arteries which starved the blood of oxygen.

His parents were told last year his only chance was a vital heart op - but he would need to avoid catching a cold over the winter.

After catching pneumonia and numerous viruses, specialists at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool were divided about his chances of surviving surgery.

However, the decision was narrowly made to go ahead.

As the surgeon began the procedure, he discovered Carson actually had a second heart condition called DORV, or Double Outlet Right Ventricle which affects the aorta.

Mending the two meant the five-hour operation took twice as long.

Mum Kirsty said: “We were just walking up and down wondering what was taking so long.

“The surgeon afterwards said he was astonished.

"Usually the two defects would be corrected by two separate operations, but he said it was now or never.

“He would never have survived a second operation.”

Even after the surgery was completed, Carson was bleeding uncontrollably for two weeks.

However, he now finally has a fully functioning heart.

Kirsty added: “He still needs to make progress with his lungs before he can come off a ventilator.

"It will be another 18 months in here, but he was dying of heart failure before.

"He is our ‘pink baby’ now and we’re over the biggest hurdle.”