Doctors in Dublin say they have been carrying out pioneering heart surgery on children with heart defects at CHI Crumlin.
The procedure avoids the need for small growing children to have open-heart surgery.
Six-year-old Zach Brunton from Co Meath was born with a congenital heart defect.
He has had five heart surgeries since he was born, including open-heart surgery, at just two weeks old.
Zach also suffered a stroke and became paralysed on one side of his body.
His mother Laura says it was an extremely difficult time for the family.
She says: "When he was born because his condition wasn't known to us he became very sick very quick, so he became paralysed on one side of his body.
"He didn't get a good outcome, we were basically told that he wouldn't make it and also because it's a stroke and the injury to his brain from that stroke, there may not be any need to do future surgeries, so we were faced with bringing home a coffin as opposed to a baby."
Against the odds, Zach survived the surgeries and his mum Laura says he has shown extraordinary resilience with his motto: "It's OK mam I've got this".
In June this year, he needed to have a valve in his heart replaced again.
This time doctors carried out a procedure, which avoided the need for him to have open-heart surgery again, to insert a mechanical valve.
It also reduced the need to use blood thinners, which have been associated with hospitalisation and serious bleeding.
Zach's dad Nicky says this surgery was much less traumatic and risky.
"That last surgery he had was very important because it wasn't as invasive as one of the mechanical valves, so hopefully will bring us on for three or four years until he is big enough to get an adult mechanical valve, and that will allow Zach not to have to have any further surgeries."
Laura says that this specialised key-hole surgery has allowed Zach to stay active and happy and transformed the quality of his life.
"I think it has really revolutionalised children's care"
Congenital Interventional Cardiologist at CHI Crumlin Damien Kenny who carried out Zach's surgery, explains the significance of the procedure.
"When heart valves fail in small children it's a real problem for us because the only alternative is a mechanical valve, which will warrant the children being on Warfarin, which is really difficult for families and children themselves," he says.
"So based on some data that came out of Boston we adapted this procedure to a blue and expandable valve into the heart in these small children to avoid the need for these anticoagulants as they are growing up.
Watch: 'I think it has really revolutionalised children's care', says CHI cardiologist Damien Kenny
"So we have done about 15 cases here in Ireland, we have done about four in the last year. I think it has really revolutionalised children's care."
"I think we have developed an expertise here that may not be available in other certainly places in the UK to be able to deliver these minimally invasive therapies to small children.
"I think because we have adapted the technique we have been able to put valves inside valves that have already been put in the heart."
Annie Chalmers' daughter, one-year-old Eva, from Glasgow in Scotland was born with a hole in her heart.
"Anything can change in a second really so you are just in survival mode really just hoping that they manage another day," she says.
"It's soul crushing."
Eva had four open heart surgeries in Glasgow but when the mechanical valve in her heart failed doctors there ran out of options.
Eva and her parents travelled to Dublin last month to have this specialised surgery at CHI Crumlin. Her father Robbie says the procedure saved her life.
"The valve which we hoped would last until she was three or four years old that started to gradually fail," he says.
"They didn't want to do more open heart surgery.
"They didn't want to increase any pressure going on the heart lung bypass again for the risk of brain bleeds.
"That's where Dublin came in, this surgery was a life saver really because the need to avoid such an intense procedure for such a young child... there is a serious risk to life."
Meanwhile, in Co Meath Zach Brunton is enjoying life after surgery and what once was an uncertain future now beats with hope.
His mum Laura says: "It's reduced pressure greatly on the left side of his heart.
"It's allowed him to become active and he's just so good, he's just an normal little boy.
"It's allowed him to be a normal little boy running around with his friends and not having to be sick at home."
