When Naomi Findlay was only 9 weeks into her pregnancy, she received devastating news: her unborn daughter had been diagnosed with ectopia cordis. This extraordinarily rare condition occurs when the breastbone doesn't form properly, causing the heart and part of the stomach to develop outside the baby's body.

The prognosis was grim — most babies with this condition are either stillborn or the pregnancy is terminated. But Vanellope's parents refused to give up. They were determined to see the pregnancy through, no matter the odds.

Survival Against All Odds

Then, on November 22, 2017, their miracle arrived. Vanellope Wilkins entered the world early, delivered via c-section.

Her heart was beating visibly outside her chest when she was born, and the medical team immediately placed her inside sterile plastic to shield the exposed organ.

What followed was a grueling journey — three separate surgeries and a 14-month hospital stay. But against all expectations, Wilkins pulled through and finally went home with her parents.

Vanellope Today

Vanellope now lives at home alongside her parents and three siblings. Sadly, her medical challenges haven't ended — she has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy, autism, and partial blindness. Because part of her retinas are missing, she is expected to lose her sight entirely by the age of 7. Her parents have launched a fundraising campaign to build a state-of-the-art sensory room for Vanellope. As her mom put it, "I do feel like it's been one thing after another, but she is just so resilient and so happy. She has such a character, and she always has a smile."

Quick Facts:

  • Vanellope Wilkins's parents say that they named her after the cartoon character Ralph from Wreck it Ralph because although she was disturbed at birth, she eventually became a princess.
  • Despite Vanellope Wilkins having a chromosomal defect, her heart had developed normally, hence the surgery's success.
  • Those with ectopia cordis have a 10% survival rate.
  • The condition is so rare Vanellope's team of 50 healthcare professionals had to do some research to discover how to treat her.