Like many seven-year-old girls, Aimee Vienings loves horses, singing, reading and writing. The busy Marlborough youngster, the middle of three girls, also dreams of receiving a drum kit or a pony for Christmas. But for years, she would have struggled to communicate any of that verbally.
That was until she became the first-ever child in New Zealand to undergo vocal cord reinnervation surgery. A new and innovative operation to repair her vocal cord, which was the size of a grain of rice.
“It all started when I was 29 weeks’ pregnant,” Aimee’s mum Emma Vienings tells the Weekly. “We were expecting twins, when one of them, Grace, died in utero. That triggered early labour and Aimee was born at 32 weeks.”
Still grieving the loss of their beloved Grace, and with Aimee barely a week old, Emma and husband Pierre were dealt another blow when they were told there was something wrong with Aimee’s tiny heart.
“We were in Blenheim when we learned Aimee needed urgent surgery, so the Starship National Air Ambulance Service flew down from Auckland and took us up to Starship.”
Eight weeks’ premature, Aimee was just eight days old when she had her first operation.
“Aimee had a narrowing in her aorta,” explains Emma. “Her heart was only the size of a walnut and while they tried to open it, because she was so little, it started closing again, so we stayed on Starship’s cardiology ward for three months, from September until December.”
Then, when Aimee was just about to have her next operation, she fell sick and doctors had to postpone it.
“That did mean we made it home for Christmas, which was awesome, and we returned to Starship in January so Aimee could have open-heart surgery in February,” recalls Emma.
Before Aimee could even walk, the brave tot had undergone two major procedures. While her heart was eventually repaired, her vocal cords had been damaged by the complex surgeries. This left her with only one weakened vocal cord instead of two vocal cords.
“It started a whole journey of feeding and swallowing issues,” says Emma. “Aimee’s voice became really croaky and hoarse until eventually, when she was about four, it become apparent her vocal cords were not going to heal on their own.”
The preschooler had lots to say, but no one could hear her properly.
So once again, Aimee returned to Starship, where ear, nose and throat specialist, Dr Colin Barber – aka Dr Jelly Bean – came to the rescue.
“The surgery is called vocal cord reinnervation,” says Emma. “It was so new that surgeons had only performed it on adults. It was the first time it would be performed on a child in New Zealand.”
But Dr Jelly Bean rose to the challenge and performed microscopic surgery on Aimee’s teeny vocal cord, describing it as “vermicelli noodles which needed blending together”.
Thankfully, the operation was a success. Today Aimee is a chatty seven-year-old, whose mother can’t believe what a difference the surgery has made.
“Her voice isn’t small and croaky any more,” says Emma, who’s also mum to Chloe, 11, and Mia, five. “She can sing and call out to her friends. If anything, she doesn’t stop talking and singing!”
But it’s clear there are few sounds more joyous to this family than their precious Aimee’s healthy voice.
Which is why Emma is so passionate about sharing her family’s story. She wants to help Kiwis understand what Starship does for those in crisis, and she hopes people will support the vital service.
“Starship’s Christmas campaign is their biggest fundraising event of the year and if people are able to give, it would mean so much to us,” she enthuses. “Because until you have a sick child, nothing can prepare you for how vulnerable and frightened you feel. We will be forever grateful to Starship for everything they did for us.”
As for little Aimee, she’s simply excited for Christmas Day.
“I just want my presents to be under the tree because Santa is going to bring me a horse probably. Or a drum set,” she announces with her wonderfully audible voice.
The Starship Foundation is currently raising funds for its National Air Ambulance, which is ready 24/7, 365 days a year to fly around New Zealand and pick up seriously sick and injured children, then take them to Starship for the specialist care they need. To donate, see starshipchristmas.org.nz
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