Six-month-old baby born with rare genetic condition breathes on her own for the very first time after undergoing DOUBLE lung transplant

A six-month-old baby who was born with rare genetic condition has taken her very first breath on her own after undergoing a double lung transplant.

Kylie Overfield, from Virginia, was born with a life-threatening lung disorder called Surfactant B Deficiency which affects just one in a million newborns around the globe.

She was immediately placed on a ventilator due to the condition which causes abnormalities in the lining of the lung tissue and can ultimately lead to respiratory failure.

Doctors feared that Kylie would not survive but thanks to an intense 11-hour surgery she can now breathe on her own for the first time in her life.

Kylie Overfield, from Virginia, was born with a life-threatening lung disorder called Surfactant B Deficiency which affects just one in a million newborns around the globe 

She was immediately placed on a ventilator due to the condition which causes abnormalities in the lining of the lung tissue and can ultimately lead to respiratory failure 

Doctors feared that Kylie would not survive but thanks to an intense 11-hour surgery she can now breathe on her own for the first time in her life 

Mom Ashley Overfield told Good Morning America: 'They didn't think Kylie was going to make it. She wouldn't survive the weekend.' 

The tot defied all odds and three months was considered strong enough to move to Texas Children's Hospital.

'I'm telling you, she was feisty,' Ashley, who also has two older children, shared. 'If she was fighting, I was never going to stop fighting.' 

Medics told the doting mom that the best chances Kylie had for long-term survival would be a risky double lung transplant. 

In America in the past 10 years, only 35 surgeries were performed on babies who were under a year old, according to official data. 

Pediatric pulmonologist Dr. David Moreno-McNeill told the outlet that the facility in Houston is 'one of the busiest pediatric lung transplant centers in the country.'

Kylie was placed on the waiting list for the operation and - just two months later - doctors were able to find a match.

And, on April 17 this year, the then five-month-old underwent an 11-hour surgery that involved up to 20 medical staff.

Medics told the doting mom that the best chances Kylie had for long-term survival would be a risky double lung transplant 

And, on April 17 this year, the then five-month-old underwent an 11-hour surgery that involved up to 20 medical staff 

Both her lungs were transplanted and doctors were also able to repair a hole in her heart 

Both her lungs were transplanted and doctors were also able to repair a hole in her heart. 

Much to Ashley's delight her baby daughter can now breathe on her own and is expected to be discharged in the coming days.

Post-operation, the mom-of-three gushed: 'I got my baby, so she has a life now. She gets a chance.'

She also expressed her appreciation for the mother of the donor baby who made the life-changing operation possible. 

Ashley shared: 'I'm so grateful that she chose to donate the organs because she saved my baby and I'm sure other babies. My heart hurts for her and I think about her every minute of every day.'