Audrina Cárdenes was born with a rare and often life-threatening condition called ectopia cordis, a rare disorder in which the heart develops, in part or in whole, outside the rib cage.

Audrina Cardenas’s mother said she discovered her daughter had this rare congenital condition when she was 16 weeks pregnant.

At that time, she faced three choices: ending the pregnancy or keeping the baby, knowing that it could still pass away within days of birth. Her final choice was to take the risk of having doctors create a space in the baby’s chest to accommodate the heart after birth.

Ultimately, she chose the last option, even though she knew it was extremely risky, but in order to keep her precious child, she didn’t give up any hope.

Doctors say this is an extremely rare congenital condition, affecting only one child out of 8 million born worldwide.

90% of newborns with ectopia cordis, a condition where the heart is located outside the body, do not survive long after birth.

Audrina underwent a complex 16-hour surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Following the successful surgery, a team of doctors examined Audrina’s case and designed a special protective garment to shield her chest during recovery.

Doctors say that despite the successful surgery, her heart still has some complications. Therefore, she will need another surgery next year to correct these issues and will require regular monitoring by a cardiologist.