Madeline Budd is a healthy and happy toddler, but her short life has brought more than its share of heartache to parents Chris and Emma.

On June 19, the pretty two-year-old had major surgery to correct a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot.

If she had not had the operation the chances were she would only live to about 20 or 30 years old.

The nightmare began for Madeline's parents shortly after she was born at Worthing Hospital on July 3, 2000.

Doctors immediately noticed the newborn baby had a heart murmur.

Mrs Budd, 30, said: "We were told there was only a one in ten chance the murmur would mean something more serious so we were not too worried.

"Unfortunately, a few weeks later the hospital checked her again and the murmur was still there.

"She had a series of tests, including an ECG and a chest X-ray, and then the consultant confirmed this condition."

Mr Budd, 36, who works at Forfar's Bakery, said: "It was a punch to the stomach. There we were with this little baby just a few weeks old and the doctors telling us she had this serious problem."

Madeline was referred to the specialist heart centre at Royal Brompton Hospital in London where her parents were told she would have to have an operation or her life would be a short one.

The surgery would take place between six months and two years depending on Madeline's condition.

All the family could do was return home to Graham Close, Mile Oak, Portslade, and play a waiting game.

Mrs Budd, an assistant at Sainsbury's, said: "As Madeline got older you could see she had problems. She suffered a lot from breathlessness and when she learnt to walk she could not go far.

"She was often very tired and slept a lot.

"When she got breathless her lips would go dark and her fingernails and the tips of her fingers and her tongue and toes would go blue.

"It was a difficult time because, although the doctors reassured us it was a common condition, we still worried.

"This was our child and she was ill and all we could do was wait. It was very frustrating because there was nothing we could do."

In February this year Madeline saw the consultant at Worthing who felt it was time for her operation.

Mr Budd said: "She was starting to get worse. She couldn't walk very far and was out of breath doing the simplest tasks."

Frustratingly for her parents, staff at the Royal Brompton had to cancel the operation twice because of a shortage of intensive care beds but the youngster eventually had her surgery.

She made a tremendous recovery and was out of intensive care and walking around after only a few days.

Mrs Budd said: "While she was having the operation we were told it would be better for us not to wait around the hospital but to go out and do something.

"We ended up walking around the Natural History Museum of all places but we could not concentrate.

"We had been told about all the potential risks and we just spent the time imagining the worst.

"It was a wonderful relief to be able to go back to the hospital and know she had come through and everything had gone well."

Madeline progressed well and was back home in time for her second birthday.

Mr and Mrs Budd, whose other children are Jamie, 12, Jake, seven, and four-year-old Jessica say the change in their youngest child has been tremendous.

Mrs Budd said: "She is a different child. She walks everywhere and doesn't get short of breath. In fact, she screams when we try to put her in her buggy.

"She is just like any other child now and is certainly making up for lost time. She is a lot happier and laughs a lot more. She is just full of energy."

The couple say they can now think again about Madeline's long-term future.

Mrs Budd said: "The worry was at the back of our minds all the time - the fear that she might not make it.

"I'd think about it last thing at night and first thing in the morning. We would talk about her going to school and everything but there was always that concern."

Mr Budd said: "It is as if we have been carrying a huge weight around with us for the last couple of years and now it is gone.

"We can't thank the staff at Worthing and the Royal Brompton enough. They did a wonderful job. It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and we are glad it is all over."

Madeline is still on medication and heart experts will be keeping a close watch as she gets older but surgeons are happy with her progress.

The couple were given a lot of help from the Heartline Association, which puts parents of children going through similar operations in contact with each other and provides back-up and support.

More details about the association are at www.heartline.org.uk