The dream of having a child shattered by a heart defect

Ventricular Septal Defect is a congenital heart condition that makes a woman unable to carry a pregnancy. [Courtesy]

Susan Wairimu will never be able to carry a pregnancy, despite her deep longing to have a child or a descendant of her own.

When people hear that a woman is unable to carry a pregnancy, the first assumption is usually that she is infertile, or that she is suffering from conditions, such as fibroids or endometriosis. What is often overlooked, however, is that there are other contributing factors-unrelated to the reproductive system-that can also prevent a woman from carrying a pregnancy to term.