Meet Hope: The Indomitable Turtle Born with an Exposed Heart, Defying the Odds. Discover the Heartwarming Journey of How Her Devoted Owner Helped Her Flourish Against All Expectations

Albino baby turtle born with its heart OUTSIDE its body has survived (despite having a condition so rare vets have yet to give it a name)

An albino baby turtle born with its heart beating outside its body has defied all the odds and appears to be thriving despite its disadvantages.

The tiny reptile, known as Hope, has such a rare condition that the condition has not yet been named in veterinary Science. She is albino and has her heart outside the correct cavity (pictured)

Owner Mike Aquilina – known as AquaMike on Instagram – looks after the Albino Pinkbelly Sideneck at his home in New Jersey.

Ectopia cordis affects about one in 126,000 births.

It occurs when the heart is born outside the chest as the wall does not form properly and the organ ends up outside the protective layer.

The rare heart defect is unknown in the species of Pinkbelly Sideneck but a similar condition in humans is dubbed ectopia cordis and affects about one in 126,000 births

Hope’s guardian has no guidance to follow when looking after the unique animal, so says he uses a ‘common-sense’ and provides extra care. But unfortunately for Hope, this means that she has to be kept separate from the other turtles for the foreseeable future

Mr Aquilina added: ‘I keep her water extra clean, give her a basking area that is as soft as possible and handle her as little as possible.

Owner Mike Aquilina – known as AquaMike on Instagram – looks after the Albino Pinkbelly Sideneck at his home in New Jersey. Mr Aquilina, 29, said: ‘Hope has impacted my life in so many ways it actually makes me emotional’

All of Hope’s food and medical supplies are supplied by ZooMed Laboratories, which leaves the tiny turtle free to bask and eat to her heart’s content. Currently there are no plans for surgery to correct her deformity

“Hope really gave me the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with people. So it’s not just about helping Animals anymore – it’s about helping Animals AND people because of Hope. There’s a lot more things that I’m really proud of. We made it to the news, we were on TV, lots of different opportunities that came because of Hope. Everything about keeping her and having her and being able to give her a life is really, really rewarding.”

Luckily, she’s now a Healthy, happy full-grown turtle who got a second chance at life because of Mike. We hope you enjoyed this heartwarming story! Let us know what you think in the comments.