After a week recovering in intensive care following life-changing heart surgery a sick tot has returned home.

Leilani Aisthorpe was born with a condition so rare it was believed only a doctor in America could operate on.

But after months of looking for a solution, her family managed to locate a specialist consultant in London to perform the procedure.

The one-year-old was[put in intensive care since her operation on Monday, January 24 after becoming really ill due to complications with her chest drain.

She also suffered a tear in one of her blood vessels during the surgery and is now on a special diet for the next four to six weeks as she recovers.

Mum Louise said: "It is going to be a long recovery and we are back in the hospital this weekend for tests and check up.

"Leilani is OK, she is in a lot of pain especially when the pain relief wears off."

Louise, 36, explained the first operation was to re-route Leilani's artery and due to the complexities of her condition cannot be treated on the NHS.

It originally cost £40,000 but due to complications, further tests, procedures and overnight stays, it has increased greatly.

The family of Hathaway Court, Rochester, are now looking at an extra £15,000 bill.

Leilani has a condition called Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery (ARSA), which means the youngster has a fourth vessel branch out of the aortic arch which goes behind the windpipe and the oesophagus.

She also suffers from a rare condition where three-quarters of her right lung is dead.

Due to her two conditions, Leilani struggles. She cannot lie flat or eat solid foods and must be fed every two hours, 24-hours-a-day but this leads to a lack of sleep and she can also have episodes where she stops breathing

If you would like to donate to the family's fundraiser you can do so here.