for Creswick’s Burns family.

Little Cayden Burns was only four days old when he had open heart surgery to save his life.

The sight of the ‘‘little warrior’’, with more than 30 wires and tubes hooked up to medical equipment, was overwhelming for parents Jess and Glen Burns.

But they knew every wire was a lifeline.

Cayden needed open heart surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital in July last year to repair a hole in his heart and a coarctation of the aorta.

Mr Burns said that when Cayden was on the operating table, it was the scariest seven hours of his life.

But he was thankful that Cayden’s condition was repairable.

‘‘When we knew we were all going to go home I stopped and looked around me at the Royal Childrens Hospital . . . there are a lot of sad stories there,’’ Mr Burns said.

‘‘I thank my lucky stars I had a happy ending. A lot of

‘HeartKids’ don’t have a happy ending.’’

Mr Burns said Father’s Day was emotional on two levels, having lost his father to cancer in January and being able to spend it with Cayden.

‘‘That’s how the life cycle goes. I am a dad now and look forward to spending it with Cayden,’’ he said.

‘‘I feel lucky I have been best mates with my dad. There are not too many men around that have that relationship

with their dad. I have had 37 wonderful years with him.’’

Cayden was in the hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit for two days, then moved to the ward for six weeks

where he slowly recovered.

But there were hurdles along the way, with Cayden becoming sick with every condition associated with the surgery, including fluid on his lungs.

The couple played it day-by-day as they watched the wires and tubes disappear.

‘‘We could not cuddle him for more than five minutes. He got tired so quickly. Holding his finger was enough for him to know we were there,’’ Ms Burns said.

Cayden, now 14 months, has made a full recovery and loves playing with his sister, Charli, 4.

‘‘He is tough, he is a little warrior,’’ Ms Burns said.

? A fundraising event will be held at Happy Jacks

Play World, Delacombe, on September 17 all day.

Proceeds will go to HeartKids Australia. All welcome.