DESPITE being just 13 years old, Libby Veryard from Newport has undergone five major operations to correct a life-threatening heart problem.

The Duffryn youngster has been close to death on several occasions and her health requires constant monitoring.

Now thanks to the donation of an oximeter to monitor her blood oxygen levels, her mother, Helen, is alerted to the onset of any problems at home - before Libby’s life is endangered.

Libby was born with a number of health problems, including a cleft lip and palate, hearing loss and holes in her heart.

An artery coming out of her heart, which was supposed to carry blood to collect oxygen from her lungs, was sealed over and had failed to connect to her lungs.

To compensate for this before birth, her body developed small veins to do the job instead, but as she grew older they became too small to provide her body with sufficient oxygen.

She became breathless, was constantly tired and unable to take part in sports or walk upstairs easily.

Over the past 12 years, Libby has undergone five open-heart operations, including having a small conduit to transport blood to her lungs fitted at the age of two.

In 1999, she spent eight months in Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where she had a tracheostomy and was christened because she was so close to death.

Last month, she had a larger conduit fitted at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, which has enabled her to become more active.

The Duffryn High School pupil is prone to chest infections and when she is in hospital, the level of oxygen in her blood is constantly monitored by equipment.

But, until the recent donation of the oximeter, her mother, Helen, had to rely on her own observations and instincts to establish whether Libby needed medical attention at home - which sometimes caused delays in getting treatment.

Ms Veryard, 44, has volunteered at Duffryn Community Link in the past and when community development officer Bob Barry heard about their situation, he contacted Berkshire-based Smile Rehab Ltd, which manufactures mobility and respiratory devices for children.

He asked if the company would donate an oximeter, worth £50, and was delighted when it agreed.

Mr Barry said: "The donation of this monitoring equipment is a wonderful gesture - Libby has an extremely difficult life and truly is a child of courage."

Ms Veryard, who has four other children, said: "It’s less stressful for all of us because it will give me an immediate indication of a problem and it’s portable, so we can go on holiday and take it with us."