Baby Audrina, wearing a heart shield, prepares to leave Texas Children's Hospital in Houston on Jan. 23, 2013.

Mom Ashley Cardenas gets Audrina ready to leave the hospital.

Ashley shows her love for baby Audrina on discharge day.

© Ashley Cardenas/Texas Children's Hospital

An MRI shows baby Audrina inside Ashley Cardenas' womb.

One-third of baby Audrina's heart sat outside of her chest prior to undergoing surgery.

A smiling 3-week-old Audrina recovers after heart surgery in November 2012.

Ashley Cardenas exits Texas Children's Hospital with baby Audrina, followed by Audrina's medical team.

Baby born with heart outside body beats odds, heads home

1/25/2013

Audrina Cardenas' smile will melt your heart; her story might break it (though this week brings good news for the adorable baby). Born in Houston nearly four months ago with much of her heart outside her body, Audrina left the hospital Wednesday and headed home for the first time. Though her rare condition is often fatal within days of birth, Audrina has beaten the odds with her doctors' help. Her medical team performed open-heart surgery the day after she was born: They made a cavity in her chest, put her heart in it and covered it with skin from elsewhere on her body. They've also fitted Audrina with a protective chest shield — pink, with a heart on it, natch. [Source]

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