All Black finds strength in heart of his young fighter

Mils Muliaina. Photo / Paul Estcourt

All Black Mils Muliaina has told of his joy at seeing son Max grow into a healthy toddler.

The 19-month-old was born with a hole in his heart, but after surgery is chasing rugby balls and swinging cricket bats.

"It was the hardest thing to give over your little wee man for surgery and hope that in five hours he would be a new man," says Muliaina, 29.

"But they were able to fix him with one surgery - we're some of the lucky ones."

Muliaina and his wife Hayley realised something was wrong with Max a few days after he was born. Their midwife referred them to Middlemore Hospital where experts found the hole.

"It was freaky stuff," says Muliaina. "As a parent, all you hear is 'something's wrong with his heart' ... you don't really know what to expect."

Two months later, Max was on the operating table for five hours of open heart surgery. A piece of felt was used to patch the hole.

Max took the ordeal in his stride. He has tackled all his milestones, loves chasing a rugby ball, picking up a cricket bat and saying "mama" and "tofa" - Samoan for goodbye.

Doctors have given him the all-clear, but will check him again around his fifth birthday.

Muliaina says Max's 20cm scar, from the top of his chest to his belly button, has faded to silver, but will never disappear.

"It's a reminder about what he's been through and how lucky we are to have a healthy baby. It will be reminder about how brave he was as a 2-month-old."

Max's ordeal humbled the All Black and prompted him to become an ambassador for Heart Children New Zealand, which today kicks off its annual fundraising week.

Muliaina will be among more than 1000 Kiwis who will raise money for the organisation by taking part in a Heart Stoppers Challenge. The challenge includes participants plunging into a pool of icy water for five minutes - symbolising how children with heart problems are often cooled in an icy slush to slow their heart rate before surgery.

For more information about the appeal, visit www.heartchildren.org.nz.