Teen keen to get back on pitch after major heart surgery

Mia Scott, age 16, has had two major heart surgeries - the first when she was just 13 months old.

She was born with a deformed pulmonary artery - a serious and potentially life-limiting condition - and a hole in her heart.

But a couple of years later - age three - she took up football and it has kept her positive in the face of further health challenges.

Last month she had her second major surgery - just days after playing the sport she loves.

Mia has played football since she was three years old

Mia, from Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, has pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PAVSD).

This is a condition that affects blood flow between the heart and lungs and means the heart's right chamber is smaller.

She has been in recovery since her operation at the Royal Hospital for Children on 16 January, but has not been able to stop thinking about getting back to the pitch.

She said: "When I was younger, I was friends with all the boys and they were all playing football. So I was like 'Aw mum they’re all playing football, I want to join them'."

When Mia was 13 months old she had open heart surgery

So far Mia has played for several different football clubs including Giffnock Girls, Celtic Women and Glasgow City.

She was also selected for two Scotland youth camps - one of which she missed her National 5 prelims for.

Mia has been in and out hospital her whole life, but rarely thinks of her defect as a set back.

"Throughout my life I’ve not really thought about it much," she said.

"I’ve mostly just forgot that I’ve had it and carried on - and I never wanted to blame it on anything.

"If I came last in a run then I’d be like, 'oh I’m not trying hard enough'."

When Mia had her first surgery, she was given a donor conduit - a tube that enables blood to flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary arteries.

Her heart was monitored ever since and it was expected she would need a second surgery at either five or 10 years old, as this was how long the conduit would likely last.

Defying expectations, Mia's lasted until she was 16.

Mia and her mum have climbed lots of Munros

In August last year, Mia's mother Lynne noticed she was becoming distressed after her football matches because her stamina was getting weaker.

"She was upset coming off a match and she actually said that night 'I feel different now and tight'. She was really upset because that’s what she really loves to do."

The teenager was then placed on the list for her second surgery, which took place on her first week back at school.

"She seemed okay whereas I was a bag of nerves," said Lynne.

"Her thought process is very different from mine. She just gets on with it and doesn’t think about it.

"She’s keen to get back on the pitch and desperately keen to test out a 22mm artery.

"I just hope she can be the wonder woman that she wants to be."

Mia currently plays football for Glasgow City's U18s

Mia's team mates and her coaches at Glasgow City have been very supportive.

She now uses her heart defect as motivation and hopes she can help inspire others.

"I’ve never really thought about it but now I feel like it’s a bit of extra motivation to prove to everyone that’s younger than me going through the same thing that you can do anything," she said.

"I just hope that if they are seeing it’s helping them and making them feel better in any way.

"It doesn’t define you, it’s just part of your life, you’re just a little bit different. But not really, different, no one needs to know if they don’t want to.

"Don’t let it define you, you can do anything."

Mia dreams of playing football for Scotland and wants to keep working to do the best she can. For now, she is focusing on recovery.

Senior Charge Nurse at the Royal Hospital for Children, Louise Bell said: “Mia is unstoppable and we loved her on the ward recently as she brightened our day.

"Nothing was too much for her. She took it all in her stride."