[Savidge:] This holiday holds a particular meaning for one Texas family. They are giving special thanks for their newborn, who just had heart surgery. The baby girl was born with part of her heart on the outside of her body. Kristi Meyers from our Houston affiliate, KTRK, has the story. And a viewing note. Some of what you are about to see shows graphic images of the girl's medical condition.
[Ashley Cardenas, Mother Of Adrina:] Look how little she is.
[Kristi Myers, Correspondent, Ktrk:] Ashley Cardenas sees her new baby for the first time after extraordinary surgery to put her baby's heart back inside of her chest. Little Adrina was born with a third of her heart lying on her stomach, beating outside her body. It was stunning thing to see, even for the heart surgeons there to repair it.
[Dr. Charles Fraser, Texas Children's Hospital Surgeon-in-chief:] It was like the heart was pinched in the middle.
[Meyers:] This condition was picked up on an ultrasound, and it's usually fatal. But Ashley made the difficult decision to continue her pregnancy, and pray for the baby's healing.
[Cardenas:] I had to come with the belief in him and belief in faith that there is a reason she is here.
[Meyers:] In a six-hour surgery, Texas Children's heart surgeons and plastic surgeons reconstructed her chest to make space for the heart inside, and gently stretched her skin to cover the hole.
[Fraser:] The baby probably will have to have other operations in the future. Her sternum is about half formed. But these are things we can deal with.
[Meyers:] Now five weeks old, Adrina is doing well. She still has a small hole inside her heart, but doctors say it may heal on its own.
[Cardenas:] They have no idea how thankful I am. If it was not for them, as well as the grace of God, she wouldn't be here.
[Savidge:] Wow. What an amazing story. That was Kristi Meyers reporting. Experts say that eight babies out of every one million are born with this condition and 90 percent are stillborn or die within the few days of birth. So little Adrina is proving to be exactly a miracle. A Paralympics' athlete's journey to the medal stand wasn't an easy one.
[Melissa Stockwell, Triathlete & Purple Heart Recipient:] It was a routine convoy through central Baghdad. About 10 minutes into the ride, we went under this bridge, and this big boom and this big explosion goes off. The woman in front yells IED, IED. We've hit an IED.
[Savidge:] So how this soldier is now fighting a different cause right here at home. And don't forget, wherever you go, we're right there with you. You can watch CNN live on your computer while you're at work or even on your Smartphone. Head to CNN.comtv.