Inspirational Daniel races to go-kart championship | News

An inspirational boy who had heart surgery as a baby is following in the tyre tracks of the likes of Lewis Hamilton after qualifying for the Bambino Kart Championship BKC series.

Six-year-old Daniel Stangerean from Hinckley in Leicestershire is a patient at Birmingham Children’s Hospital after having heart surgery when he was just six days old. Daniel is treated by our specialist team in the Heart Outpatients department, which treats more than 10,000 outpatients a year.

He has continued to progress though and has been able to follow his passion of go-karting, following in the footsteps of the likes of seven-time world Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.

Daniel’s dad, Krisztian Pintea, said: “A few days after he was born, we rushed him to our local hospital as Daniel’s skin had started turning yellow.

“We were then transferred to the Children’s Hospital where we were told that Daniel had a blocked artery and needed open-heart surgery. We knew our lives had changed forever.”

Less than a week after his birth, Daniel underwent a staged Yasui procedure to fix the narrowing in the main body artery. When he was six months old, he had his second stage operation called ‘Rastelli’, where the hole was closed and a custom-made valve was implanted. Daniel also needed keyhole surgery, where he had a stent implanted inside the valve tube to increase its longevity.

After undergoing several successful operations, Daniel now has a bright future of go-kart racing ahead of him.

“We couldn’t have found a better place to treat Daniel," said Krisztian. "All the members of staff on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit helped to keep us moving forward. The team work so hard to help children and their families.

“Daniel can now pursue his dream thanks to the team at the hospital. He is training to compete in the Bambino Kart Championship BKC series, which consists of six go-kart races taking place across the country. It's a big challenge for us but we love every moment and Daniel shows us every time how motivated and focused he is.

“Daniel still needs to return to the hospital for future operations, but it’s unbelievable to think about what he has achieved. We are so thankful to the team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.”

Daniel is treated at our Children’s Hospital by Dr Chetan Mehta, Consultant Cardiologist.

Dr Mehta said: “Daniel was presented at five days of age to the local hospital in complete collapse. He was transferred to the Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Unit where he was stabilised and diagnosed. He had a blockage in the main body artery and a hole in between the pumping chambers of the heart.

“We are delighted that we able to treat him and that he has been able to continue to follow his passion of go-karting.”