Krish Waje was enjoying a weekend with her family when her life changed.
The then-15-year-old was visiting her older sister’s new apartment and also buzzing with excitement about a Justin Bieber concert she was set to attend the next day.
As the family of four relaxed together, her mum Neeta – a doctor who trained as an ENT specialist in India before becoming a GP in Sydney – pulled Krish in for a hug.
‘Mum gave me a hug and rested her ear on my chest,’ Krish, now 27, told the Daily Mail.
DON'T MISS
‘Then she said, “Hmm that doesn’t sound right.”‘
In that moment, something caught her mum’s trained ear – a subtle ‘whooshing’ sound coming from Krish’s heart.
Almost anyone else would’ve missed it. But Neeta, now 60, was a doctor with years of experience – and the subtle anomaly she picked up ultimately saved her daughter’s life.
Neeta urged Krish to see a doctor – but like many teenagers, she thought her mother was overreacting. In the end, Neeta booked the appointment herself.
When Krish’s mother hugged her, something caught her attention. Neeta, a doctor, heard a ‘whooshing’ sound in her daughter’s chest – coming from her heart
Within a few weeks, Krish saw a physician and underwent an ultrasound on her heart. She was then referred to a cardiologist.
‘You have a large hole in your heart, and it’s twice the size it should be,’ the cardiologist told her, diagnosing Krish with a condition called secundum atrial septal defect (ASD).
ASD is a congenital heart condition – meaning you’re born with it. Globally, about nine in every 1,000 babies are affected by congenital heart disease, with an estimated 2,400 cases in Australia each year.
Most cases are diagnosed in infancy or early childhood – but some, like Krish’s, aren’t picked up until later in life.
‘The cardiologist explained the valve in my heart wasn’t closing properly, so the blood was flowing backwards,’ Krish says.
‘Essentially my heart was working harder than it should to get oxygen around my body because of the back flow.
‘He showed us the hole on the scans and said it was quite large. He was surprised I’d been living with it for 15 years.’
The doctor told Krish she needed open-heart surgery – and warned what could happen if they didn’t act quickly.
After seeing a cardiologist, Krish was diagnosed with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) – a hole in the heart she was born with. While the condition is relatively common, it’s rare for it to go undetected for 15 years
‘He said surgery was my only option. If I didn’t get it, at the rate my heart was functioning, I wouldn’t make it past 30. My heart would likely start to give up,’ Krish says.
‘Then he started asking me questions about my lifestyle – like whether I got out of breath easily or had trouble breathing.’
Krish had played netball and taken dance classes for years, often struggling with breathlessness – but she’d always assumed she was just ‘unfit’.
‘One season, I played centre in netball and it nearly ruined me,’ she says.
‘I was running all over the court and just couldn’t keep up.
‘I just thought I wasn’t an athletic person. Even in dance, I was always a step behind everyone else.’
What is atrial septal defect (ASD)?
An atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart condition – meaning you’re born with it.
People with ASD have a hole between the upper chambers of the heart, which increases the amount of blood flowing to the lungs.
Small ASDs are sometimes found by chance and may never cause problems. Some even close on their own during infancy or early childhood.
Larger or long-standing ASDs can damage the heart and lungs. Surgery may be required to repair the defect and prevent complications.
Atrial septal defect symptoms may include:
- Shortness of breath, especially during exercise
- Tiredness, especially with activity
- Swelling in the legs, feet or abdomen
- Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
- Palpitations – a fluttering or pounding heartbeat
Source: Mayo Clinic
As a medical professional herself, Neeta couldn’t help but blame herself for not detecting the condition sooner.
‘Mum was calm but also confused. She said, “How did it slip for so long? Was it my fault?” We were both shocked,’ Krish recalled.
‘My mum basically saved my life. I’m forever grateful for her. If she hadn’t picked it up, I don’t know what my life would look like today.’
In June 2014, after a six-month wait, Krish underwent open-heart surgery.
Neeta advocated for surgeons to operate from the side of Krish’s body, so she would not be left with a long scar down her chest.
‘She’s always looked out for me. She didn’t want me to have an obvious scar,’ Krish said. ‘I was really nervous and anxious beforehand, and so was my family.’
The open-heart surgery took an entire day. When Krish woke up in ICU, she was in the ‘worst pain’, but the operation had been a success.
Krish stayed in hospital for a week before beginning rehabilitation, where she had to relearn how to breathe properly.
‘I couldn’t walk properly or go to the bathroom without help. I couldn’t make any sudden movements. I had to be patient,’ she said.
‘I was the youngest person in the ward, and the nurses asked me what I was doing there. It felt surreal – like I didn’t belong there.’
During her recovery, Krish found aromatherapy helped ease her anxiety – inspiring her to later launch her own candle and scent business, Lunaire
After a month of rehab, Krish was back at school – and within a few months, her heart had returned to its normal size.
‘My perspective on life changed,’ she says. ‘I’m so grateful to be alive – and I owe it all to Mum.’
READ MORE HEALTH STORIES FROM DAILYMAIL+
Cheap injections help me look and feel decades younger at 60. They’re NOT Botox or Ozempic – and if more women knew, the whole healthcare system would crumble
I tried everything to cure my restless legs. My GP didn’t know how to help – then a top neurologist prescribed me a very unlikely but common drug
I drank almost every day for two decades. Seven years after getting sober, I received a shocking diagnosis. I knew it was my fault… I’d left it too late: CORRINE BARRACLOUGH
My depression and ADHD almost killed me. Then I ditched the food everyone says is ‘good for you’ and followed a radical new diet. Now I’m drug-free and feel superhuman
The middle-age cocaine timebomb: Doctors raise the alarm on the terrifying damage drugs are doing to ageing bodies – and how it could lead to the most feared disease of all
