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Karla Blake was very excited when she welcomed her son into the world 11 months ago.

She said that she was so happy because he is her first son and she loved him dearly from the moment of conception.

But a check-up at the doctor changed things dramatically. She said that her son was suffering from a cold and so she had him checked.

The doctor said that her baby, Christiano Wilson, had a heart murmur. However, the cold may have been the cause.

She told THE STAR that after the cold cleared up, she went back to the doctor in August.

The doctor told her that he still heard the sound and recommended that an eco-cardiogram be performed on her son.

The test indicated that her son had sub-valvular aortic stenosis, which is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left ventricle is narrowed below the level of the aortic valve, resulting in obstruction to blood flow out of the heart.

"We were told that his (difficulty) breathing was caused by an obstruction of a membrane and when they did the second test in October, we learnt that it was a tunnel type sub-valvular obstruction, meaning the obstruction is caused by a muscle and not a membrane and it is a more risky type of surgery," she said.

Blake, who works part-time at the National Health Fund, said she has to be spending most of her days taking care of her son as she makes preparations for him to go overseas to do surgery that could save his life.

She said that at present, she is the only one bearing the burden because her family does not live close by to offer much assistance.

She said that it is heart-wrenching that her son is going through this.

"I can't even describe what I'm feeling. I am in and out of it because it is so emotionally stressing," she said.

Blake is asking for donations for her son's surgery.

"They have accepted him at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester on December 24. They said the estimated cost is US$16,000 (approximately J$2.08 million), providing that they do not have to do any additional tests," she said.

She said that she is asking for US$25,000 to help with her son's surgery and airfare to and from the US.