Toddler Ella Wiseman has a new heart.

The little girl from Douglas underwent the gruelling nine-hour operation last week and she’s already sitting up and playing with toys.

Ella, who is two in December, has been on life support at Freeman hospital in Newcastle from June.

She had an abnormal coronary artery, starving the left side of her heart of oxygen, meaning a new heart was necessary.

Her parents Amy Ash and TJ Wiseman stayed at her bedside throughout.

They faced possibly months waiting for a suitable heart small enough to be found.

Amy said that they had just two hours’ notice to prepare for the operation which began at 5pm last Monday and continued until 2am on Tuesday.

’We were so shocked when we got told they had a heart for Ella, one minute I was crying the next I was smiling and happy.

’Part of me didn’t want her to go yet just because of how well she looked, but of course I knew she needed it so we could go home and get back to normality.’

She added: ’Ella’s doing really well.

’She’s already sitting up playing with her toys she has her trachy fitted back in, doctors are hoping she won’t need it forever and are hoping we could be home for Christmas.

’We just can’t wait to get her home and for her to be doing what kids should be doing.

’We’ve missed being able to go out and do things with her so much.’

She also thanked the surgeons and medical staff and the donor family, which remained anonymous.

She intends to contact the deonor via the agency, aware their donation was borne out of tragic loss.

Several weeks ago, they made an appeal for donations to help with the travel costs so other members of the family could visit them from the island.

Amy thanked everyone for their generosity including Heavenly Beauty and Shoprite.

Any funds that are not used by the family will go to the hospital in Newcastle.