Rosanna Ogden, Toddler, Dubbed 'Miracle Swimmer' After Recovery From Open Heart Surgery (VIDEO)

Just weeks after undergoing open heart surgery as an infant, Rosanna Ogden's swimming lessons were not only aiding her recovery, but revealing an extraordinary talent.

Now 2-years-old, the British toddler first took to the water at just 10-weeks-old after she had an operation to remove a life-threatening tumor in her heart.

Doctors said that physical activity would help the recovery process, so Rosanna's parents enrolled her in swimming lessons for infants, the Daily Mail reports.

By the time she was just 13-months-old, Rosanna was already swimming on her own, leading some to dub her a "Miracle underwater swimmer girl," according to the British Heart Foundation.

During a charity event, Rosanna swam 100 meters and raised nearly 600 pounds (around $1,000) for the British Heart Foundation, according to Granada Reports.

Though swimming coach Mary Parkinson usually doesn't teach children younger than four, she said she was taken aback by Rosanna's ability.

"She's a fish," Parkinson told the station. "She just swims along, smiling away."

Rosanna's parents said they hope their daughter's survival story inspires others facing similar situations.

"We longed for somebody there to tell us these things, so we could have had more hope," they told the British Heart Foundation.

So what's in store for Rosanna's future?

"Hopefully Olympic Gold," Ben Hamlett, Rosanna's swimming instructor, told Surrey And Berks Media.

Read more about Rosanna Ogden's story on the toddler's blog.

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Comments

[Royce09]

08:41 AM on 04/20/2012

what a cool baby

[Dadding Dudes]

08:14 PM on 04/18/2012

Behind you, Michael Phelps!
www.daddingdudes.com

[Rosanna Ogden]

03:15 PM on 04/18/2012

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/story/2012-03-05/two-year-old-charity-swim/
http://rosannaogden.blogspot.co.uk/

2 links from the UK about Rosanna

[Rosanna Ogden]

06:57 PM on 04/18/2012

http://www.facebook.com/Rosanna.ogden

[Sprinks678]

10:42 AM on 04/18/2012

What a wonderful way for her to get the exercise she needs for her heart! I was a lifeguard and a Red Cross swimming instructor throughout high school and college and swimming has always been my favorite form of exercise, especially when I was pregnant. When my daughters were born, I had them in the pool at a few months of age. Babies swim naturally. Both of my girls were great swimmers as toddlers and have continued to enjoy swimming as exercise. I don't know that it is a miracle that this little girl can swim, because most babies and toddlers learn very easily in my experience. However, her successful surgery and recovery is miraculous!

[phunyuns2]

10:40 AM on 04/18/2012

I am impressed that she over came her heart problems, thats awesome..not too impressed with the swimming tho. Put just about any baby in the water before a year old and they will swim like a fish and its just a matter of if they stick with it or not. My mom used to tell me stories about how people at the public pool would gasp in horror when they saw me swimming under water at about 4months old without floaties. I plan to do the same with my kids. I also started to walk around 9months old..Im not knocking the girl, its a miracle she overcame her heart tumor so young, just not a miracle that she can swim...but I guess in a way the first miracle led to her swimming so maybe its a miracle by association.

[bluegnu63]

03:11 AM on 04/18/2012

Wonder if this magical child was born under the water sign of Pisces, the two fishes...;-)

[elainedwrma]

01:27 AM on 04/18/2012

This is a nice story! Good for that little girl! May she win the "Gold"! I bet to her parents, she already has! My hubby is going in for heart sugery this week at 60. I will encourage him to swim after.

[bluegnu63]

03:11 AM on 04/18/2012

Sending up positive prayers for you both.

[elainedwrma]

12:56 AM on 04/19/2012

Thank you for your prayers. Needed for so many.

[Alexis Elizabeth Drob]

12:23 AM on 04/18/2012

This is not a new thing, there was a baby in Australia or somewhere like that a few years ago that was swimming like a pro at 6 months old. I think it was on one of the Discovery medical channels.

[Alex Santarelli]

01:52 AM on 04/18/2012

wow.. get a life and have a heart for crying out loud

[meat-a-saur-us]

02:19 AM on 04/18/2012

Buzz kill.

[tannervin]

04:08 AM on 04/18/2012

It might be buzz kill but, it's true. She's really cute, but what she's doing isn't swimming. Lots of babies do swim. Mine could swim like this at 12 months and could swim for real before she was three. You just need to teach them.

[tannervin]

11:42 PM on 04/17/2012

You don't hyphenate ages unless they come before the noun. Learn to write!

[bluegnu63]

03:12 AM on 04/18/2012

Are you the chief of the Grammar Police?

[ww1156]

09:35 PM on 04/17/2012

She is alot cuter than Michael Phelps

[ndmy]

11:54 AM on 04/20/2012

Another pet peeve: A LOT are two words, not one. I find hundreds of people write A LOT as one word and I don't understand why.

[Elizabeth Milner]

09:05 PM on 04/17/2012

that is what my parents did to me. i was born premature.....and my lungs were not developed. threw me in the pool at around ten months. i almost went to the olympics. this is awesome. swimming is an awesom sport. i get mad when i see kids wearing those darn "floaties". they don't help a child swim. my son learned how to swim at 2 also. it's a good thing to do! good girl!

[meat-a-saur-us]

02:19 AM on 04/18/2012

Awesome---and good for you to pass that on to your Son!!!

[bluegnu63]

03:13 AM on 04/18/2012

And, a very SAFE thing to do, great mama!

[wmarylou10]

09:01 PM on 04/17/2012

Wow. Cool. Good for Rosanna. You go girl.

[nemo1967]

08:50 PM on 04/17/2012

Hahaha, omg cute. she did float on pool. future she'll grow become olympic :))))) nice... i hate and cant float myself too bad drown... i just stand on pool with edge... oxoxox

[nemo1967]

08:48 PM on 04/17/2012

Hahaha, omg, cute. die float pool :))))))))) futute she grow up get olympic :))))))) cuuute.. i can't float...just standing on pool.......can't swim...

[classychassy]

07:43 PM on 04/17/2012

How do they know when she needs to breath. Maybe she can lift her head, I hope

[simzillyjp]

08:00 PM on 04/17/2012

The kid knows when she has to breathe.

[classychassy]

09:52 PM on 04/17/2012

Yes, I know the kid knows when she needs to breath, I was meaning, oh, never mind...