Former Arsenal Star’s Daughter has Life Saving Surgery

Former Arsenal star and current U-18s coach Jack Wilshere has become an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation following his daughter’s battle with a heart condition.

Wilshere told the BBC recently he “100 percent” thought he might lose his daughter as she underwent treatment for an issue with her heart.

Wilshere’s daughter, Siena, was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease that the former England midfielder described as a “hole in her heart”.

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It was during a family treatment doctors first noticed Siena had an issue, with doctors in Cyprus uging Wilshere to take his daughter for a thorough check-up, according to reporting by The Sun.

Wilshere’s wife, Andriani, told the BBC her reaction to hearing the news was, “I remember just falling to the floor and crying, I just couldn't believe the news. It was shocking.”

Siena underwent a five-hour surgery to fix the issue with her heart in February of this year, per The British Heart Foundation.

Wilshere told the BHF that he was, “a bag of nerves. I remember having this feeling in the pit of my stomach,” the night before the operation, and that it was a shock seeing her in the ICU after the op.

Siena, now six, has fully recovered from her operation, and she no longer suffers from breathlessness following exercise, something that caused her parents concern before the diagnosis.

Wilshere spoke with great pride about his daughter to the BHF, telling them, “I’ve been through surgery but it’s nothing compared to what Siena has gone through. We call her our heart warrior. The bravery and strength she’s shown has been incredible, and we are just so proud of her.”

Wilshere and his wife Andriani told the BHF, “We didn’t know anything about congenital heart conditions and never thought our daughter would ever require open-heart surgery.” And that they now plan on using their platforms to raise awareness for congenital heart conditions and to raise money for research and care staff.

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