Jessica believed she should 'never fall pregnant', until one routine appointment changed everything

Jessica was first diagnosed at 14 years old12:55, 24 Aug 2026Jessica Anderson was repeatedly warned throughout her life that she should “never fall pregnant” because of her serious heart condition. After undergoing three open heart surgeries before turning 27, she was eventually able to have her daughter Amelia at 32, describing the experience as “amazing”.Now 38, Jessica is a business analyst from Kent. She was born with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis, a congenital condition in which the heart has two flaps of tissue, known as cusps, rather than three. Much of her childhood was spent in and out of hospital while living with heart failure.Her parents first became concerned when Jessica was nine months old and began having seizures. They also noticed she was “more susceptible to getting inf