THE parents of one of the world’s youngest heart surgery patients last night paid tribute to their baby daughter’s bravery after she lost her fight for life.

James and Joanne Carr yesterday said they were devastated by the loss of their fourmonth- old daughter who first underwent surgery at just 17 hours old.

Jasmine was born, on September 26, with hypoplastic left heart syndrome which affects one in 5,000 babies.

She was given only a 15 per cent chance of survival.

The County Durham couple were hopeful for the future after an 11-hour operation at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, to effectively “re-plumb” Jasmine’s heart.

Despite complications, including cardiac arrests and a serious immune system deficiency, doctors were pleased with Jasmine’s progress when her parents visited on February 21.

But soon after they left for their Newton Aycliffe home, and their other two children, their hopes where shattered when they were called back to be told Jasmine had died.

Mr Carr, 29, of Whinlatter Place, said: “It’s like losing a part of yourself to be honest, it’s the worst feeling you could imagine.

“It’s like a dream because it doesn’t feel real. I don’t think it will feel real for a long time.

“To look at her you could see she was such a strong person within herself – somebody who would never give up and that is one thing we will never forget, she fought as long as she could.”

The couple’s agony began 20 weeks into the pregnancy when a scan revealed Jasmine’s condition and they were given there options.

Doctors said they could either terminate the pregnancy, have the baby and watch her die in their arms or prepare for immediate surgery.

Mrs Carr, 27, held her 5lb 13oz baby for only ten minutes before she was prepared for a procedure to train the right side of the heart to take over the function of the left.

Jasmine suffered a cardiac arrest after the procedure and spent most of her life in intensive care. She suffered another arrest following a third heart operation on, February 20, but doctors believed she was stable.

Mr Carr, who gave up work as a lorry driver to help care for Jasmine, said: “We were just on our way back home, to see the other two (children), when we got the call telling us to come back urgently. They had been massaging her heart for half an hour but as soon as the surgeon saw us he came over and gave us the bad news.”

The couple said their other daughter, Jamie-Leigh, one, was too young to understand but thought their son, Jake, five, had been affected. Mr Carr said there would be an inquest.

A service for Jasmine will be held at St John’s Church, Shildon, on Tuesday followed by interment at the town’s West End Cemetery.