Ryan Marquiss, Pennsylvania Boy, Survives With Heart Outside Body

A Pennsylvania boy has survived after being born with a condition that caused half of his heart to be formed outside his body.

Ryan Marquiss' heart was protruding out of his chest cavity and covered only by a thin membrane, a condition known as ectopia cordis, the Daily Mail reports.

GRAPHIC PHOTO BELOW

Out of every million infants born with the condition, only five to eight survive.

The boy's survival is even more astonishing given he also suffered from hypoplastic right heart syndrome, a condition where only the left side of the heart properly develops.

Doctors discovered the child's heart defects during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and warned parents Leighann and Henry Marquiss that the baby's chance of survival was slim.

Despite the odds, the pair refused to terminate the pregnancy, according to Fox News.

After undergoing dozens of operations, Ryan is now celebrating his 3rd birthday. Doctors had to place a shunt so that half a heart could do the job of a full heart and place tissue expanders under his skin so that they could cover the exposed heart. Doctors believe he's the only child to survive with this deadly combination of heart conditions.

"The doctors told us that no baby with Ryan’s combination of defects had ever survived, so the fact that he is here with us today, is just amazing. He really has astounded everyone," Leighann Marquiss told the Daily Mail.

In 2009, ABC News reported on a similar story of Christopher Wall, a 33-year-old with ectopia cordis who also defied the odds and managed to live a "normal," active life despite his condition.

Click here to see the graphic photo

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Mercgal]

07:28 AM on 02/26/2012

What an adorable little guy. His smile lights up the room!! Go Ryan!!!!!!

[tikls]

06:38 AM on 02/26/2012

Amazing....May God bless this boy and his family with healing.

[deckercat]

04:30 AM on 02/26/2012

no big deal. presidential candidates can survive with no heart.

[mrbradw1961]

06:16 AM on 02/26/2012

I thought not having a heart was a requirement of politicians?

[mangel38]

03:56 AM on 02/26/2012

I know he will survive..My little cousin was born with 4 major organs outside her body and today she is a happy and healthy beautiful little girl.

[Denisehh3]

03:31 AM on 02/26/2012

Precious little one........I would have kept him too if he were mine........hopefully he will continue to thrive......

[pupmobile]

02:24 AM on 02/26/2012

What a little sweetheart!! God be with him!!

[mh430]

02:23 AM on 02/26/2012

Reading the article and looking at that precious picture is heart breaking. To me, it brings up many questions. 5-8 survive out of every million born. I've never heard of this condition. Also, we have come a long way in the medical field, this country must being doing some thing right. Knowing that your child is going to born with this condition, I don't know what I would have done faced with the decision these parents had to make. One side of me say's he has suffered so much. Another side of me says, look at that picture, how could someone not want this child to be born. So many questions. I guess that's what life is all about.

[zeroxbm]

02:13 AM on 02/26/2012

It is absolutely preposterous that the lot of you believe that any God had anything to do with this. It is both an insult, and a disservice to the many trained and skilled medical practitioners that worked tirelessly to save this little boys life.

But hey, if you want to credit this to the magical invisible floating man in the sky, that preforms little magic tricks for all the "good" little boys and girls, then I suppose that is your decision. Personally, I commend the doctors, surgeons and nurses that allowed this little boy a chance at life. I hope the best for him, and his family.

Maybe if we stop counting things up to a God of any sort, and start putting our trust and beliefs in the further advancement of the various medical fields, we can have more stories like this gracing our headlines.

[Cecilia Rivera]

03:35 AM on 02/26/2012

You must be joking ...right? God had everything to do with this. God gave us the drive to want to change things. If we didn't try to change things we would still be living in caves. We wouldn't have the curiosity to question why can't things be different and thusly send us searching for answers. Come on zeroxbm.

[zeroxbm]

04:40 PM on 02/26/2012

To be frank with you Cecilia, I find it sad that you, by choice, would rather hail an unseen, unheard, and for all intents and purposes unproven imaginary friend; than real, tangible human beings. I say this not out of anger or disgust, but of pity. I wish the best of you.

[Chris Rubel]

06:56 PM on 02/26/2012

Our natural curiosity is the product of evolution, not of some invisible old man in a nightgown.

[Michelledc]

04:25 AM on 02/26/2012

zeroxbm if it weren't for God, those doctors and surgeons wouldn't have known what to do, as they wouldn't have the mind set to be able to learn and do the things they do. God works in mysterious ways, and gives trials for all of his followers but never more than one can handle. And obviously these parents were handed a very hard decision to make, and in making it they chose to give life which is what God is about. And being the loving parents they are, they have been blessed with a lovely young boy, and the wonderful help of our educated dr's and surgeons that he gave the ability to learn how to help childrem like this. You go on along your road to destruction, bu you can't take me or any of the true people down with you. The devils pits are waiting for you and your kind, hopefully one day you will wake up in time before it is to late.

[zeroxbm]

04:48 PM on 02/26/2012

Have you ever asked yourself why this god works in "mysterious" ways? If there were a creator of some kind, would they not come forward and show face for these alleged "miracles"? Also, that is a pretty cold way of putting things, what about the billions of babies that die all around the world, do their parents just not love them enough?

Also, thank you for showing the true Christian morality of condemning another human being to eternal torture. Your kind truly are wonders.

As another last bit, honestly? Between the two, your God has preformed far worse atrocities than any Devil. I do say this out of parody of the situation, as neither exist.

However, I do not condemn you, but wish you the best Michelle. Take care.

[scoval711]

01:11 AM on 02/26/2012

He won't survive much longer

[mh430]

02:24 AM on 02/26/2012

I pray your wrong.

[Cecilia Rivera]

03:36 AM on 02/26/2012

Have a little faith.

[scoval711]

12:18 PM on 02/26/2012

No need to

[fisch123]

12:57 AM on 02/26/2012

"Out of every million infants born with the condition, only five to eight survive"

Are there really that many infants born with this condition that they can come up with that calculation?

[emeraldshield]

03:30 AM on 02/26/2012

excellent observation. Not probable would you think?

[Cathy Cronen]

05:21 PM on 02/26/2012

I too questioned these numbers. I have found that the incidence is .79 in 100,000 births. My take on "out of every million born with the condition" is an editorial error. There are fewer than 10 cases in a million births...really, has the medical community documented "millions born with this condition"?

[LIKEWHAT]

12:33 AM on 02/26/2012

God has nothing to do with this! LOL come one... yea he is the first recorded person to survive with this combination of malformation and disease, yet as technology and science progresses, many more firsts will come, BUT... it has nothing to do with god.

[Robert Cat]

11:26 PM on 02/25/2012

Let us note that the child had "dozens of operations".

No where in this did God just wave his hand and the heart magically corrected its deformity and moved itself back into the child's body.

[mh430]

02:30 AM on 02/26/2012

Did I miss something. I didn't read a reference to God in this story. My buddy Chucks says your cat made a very good picture. He likes it and so do I.

[Robert Cat]

12:49 PM on 02/26/2012

I'm responding to the dozens of people posting here who were thanking God, as if the actions of the doctors and nurses weren't needed.

Robert thanks you for the compliment. : )

[gingerranger9]

10:33 PM on 02/25/2012

It's truly incredible what is possible with today's medicine and technological advancements. Unfortunately, the article never gave credit to the doctors or hospital that were able to create a shunt and insert tissue expanders for Ryan's heart.

[Dean M Miller]

10:39 PM on 02/25/2012

and who also recommended that the parents kill the boy by aborting him.

disgusting.

[Agdoc]

11:07 PM on 02/25/2012

No one recommended that they "kill the boy". You anti-abortionists are a hoot. They gave them the choice of terminating the pregnancy in the first trimester (BEFORE the fetus is a viable infant) given the previously-universal mortality associated with the condition and the horrendous cost of caring for a newborn with virtually no chance of survival. But I'm sure you'll personally be glad to help them pay the balance of their bill, won't you, Dean?

[LIKEWHAT]

12:29 AM on 02/26/2012

And if anyone did say that, it is likely that these doctors referred to in above comment are different people than the doctors you are hating on.

[Katie Arin VonHood]

09:44 PM on 02/25/2012

wow thats amazing.... i wish him nothing but the best and a normal life

[Patricia Marinelli]

08:23 PM on 02/25/2012

God is still in business performing Miracles. What a wonderful Lord and Savior he is. There is a reason for this childs survival. He will grow up to be a testament to our Heavenly Father. Praise God for this young boy and his family.

[denae4289]

08:38 PM on 02/25/2012

Amen. Glad to see some people believing in God still.....

[krownbb]

08:42 PM on 02/25/2012

Amen, I was going to write something, but agreeing with your prayer is far better; In Jesus' Name