Model of Brody's heart helps doctors prepare for his surgery 

Brody Eills was born with a congenital heart defect and underwent surgery at three-days-old. To prepare for a follow-up keyhole operation last year, a cutting-edge 3D-printed model of his heart was used to map the procedure

Brody Ellis, eight, who has had multiple open heart surgeries, recently underwent his fourth operation in Crumlin Children's Hospital - where on this occasion 3D printed models of his heart prior to surgery enabled cardiologists to plan and then safely perform the operation by keyhole surgery also allowing for a much quicker recovery time for Brody. Photograph Moya Nolan

IT WAS one of the most surreal moments of Georgina Ellis’s life — when the Dublin mum held an exact replica of her son Brody’s heart in her hands.

“Nobody ever expects to be able to hold their own child’s heart in their hands. It’s so unusual, amazing, and quite special,” she says.