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This Viral Photo of a Baby Smiling After Open-Heart Surgery Will Make You Melt

Nov. 12, 2012 6:00pm Erica Ritz

Three-month-old Joey Powling of Massachusetts has become an Internet inspiration after being pictured just five days after having open heart surgery, smiling at the camera as though he doesn’t have a care in the world.

With more than a million “likes” on social media sites, the image went viral after being posted by the boy’s uncle on Reddit with the comment, “chicks dig scars, right?”

Since then, it took off as an Internet meme with commenters calling the infant a “baby Bruce Willis” or mini-Robert Downey Jr. Others have praised how tough he is, one joking: “Teething is gonna be a piece of cake.”

Here is the photo, via Reddit:

Viral: 3 Month Old Joey Powling Smiles at the Camera After Open Heart Surgery

(Photo: Reddit)

Little Joey’s parents appeared on The Today Show Monday, and their website has a recap:

Baby Joey was diagnosed with a serious heart condition when he was still in his mother’s womb. Doctors told Joey’s parents that their baby had a rare congenital heart defect, called Tetralogy of Fallot, which would need to be corrected surgically shortly after he was born.

The condition left Joey with a hole in his heart, along with several other life-threatening symptoms. But none of that was apparent in his first days of life.

“He was actually doing pretty well when he was born,” his mom Sarah Powling told TODAY’s Matt Lauer. “So usually if babies are doing well when they’re born they like to wait until 3 months when they are the right weight and everything.”

Without surgery, experts say, Joey would likely not have made it to 20-years-old. Now, he can live a completely normal life. Not only that, but because he had the surgery so early, the massive scar that now covers the majority of his midsection will be far less noticeable as he ages.

When host Matt Lauer said the boy undeniably has “game” and asked Sarah Powling what she thought her son was thinking at that moment, she said hesitantly: “I think he has to go to the bathroom…”

Watch the heartwarming interview, below:

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Comments (41)

mscaptbilly
Posted on May 11, 2013 at 9:15pm
Two of my Granddaughters had open heart surgery. One at 2 weeks and one at 5 years. Both are teenagers now and doing wonderful. Thanks be to modern medical science and God’s steady guidance.

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Tacit Eagle
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 6:56pm
That’s one tough American right there. Keep up the good fight Joey Powling. I’m praying for you to live a good life.

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1956
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 5:57pm
Obamacare and Agenda 21 will stop these life-saving operations. Pray for all of us – even for yourselves.

This precious life has been saved. Thank you, Lord.

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bankerpapaw
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:50am
God bless Joey. He is one tough little cookie.

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Moozmom
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 7:50am
Now let’s see, God loves me and Mommy and Daddy love me, and my uncle loves me,……..

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R.A. Bullseye
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:08am
Lets make a baby.

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- rickc34
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:58am
  Keep your chin up Joey your gonna be alright little buddy. God Bless you.
  
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- NeilChapin
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 6:00am
  The human desire for life is an amzaing thing, even as a baby. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
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SpectreRogziel
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:33am
You know this awesome little warrior would probably be counted among the “imperfect” babies that the UN would encourage the death of under with those Agenda 21 ads.

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rghtwngcrzy
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:46pm
What a cutie! May God bless him and his family.

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LakeHartwellSailor
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:54pm
Now THIS is what it is all about. At age 51, I do not have children, and never will. This little child melts my heart.

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- R.A. Bullseye
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:03am
  same here. I agree.
  
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Spyderco
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:10pm
This reminds us of what is really important. We play and bicker on here with our posts but this one is humbling and uplifting. Thank you Jesus from protecting this little angel.

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big oil iceman
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:48pm
I know I didn’t look that happy after mine(Feb 17 1967). I guess I was too scared to smile!

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RightUnite
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:41pm
Sweet little one!!

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Uechi
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:01pm
Beautiful, little baby. Enjoy it people, because under the Messiah’s health care plan ( total lives ) this baby would be dead)How many other miracles of God are murdered everyday by all those Pro Choice pos?

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- Mainer forever
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:49pm
  My thoughts exactly
  
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- badswing
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:13am
  exactly!
  
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- ThoreauHD
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 2:59pm
  I was trying to forget about that. Ah man.. you’re right on the money. All the infirm and weak are culled by the socialists. Cass Sunstein and pals would have thrown this kids out in a garbage pale.
  
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Jennifer_D
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:57pm
What a precious little sweetheart! He is so adorable! After going through something so trying you bet teething will be easy peasy! :)

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Aldo
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:49pm
They performed an open heart surgery on my son who was born (4 weeks prematurely) when he was 2 weeks old. They didn’t see the problem and sent us home from the hospital 4 days after he was born. Our local (idiot) pediatrician kept telling us to go home and feed him more.

We finally secided to go to children’s hospital in st louis and they immediately found his heart murmur. Wh en we went back to the hospital, he could not be put in the NICU. They ran tests for a week and then hey did heart surgery. I have lived in Europe and seen their idea of health care.
The US health care system saved my son. There is nowhere on earth he would have survived except here. With the institutionalization of obama’s plan, I ( more than some) will regret the demise of the best health care system on earth.

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TommyJH54
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:29pm
Reminds me of my son when he was 4 months old and he went through open heart at Hershey Medical Center. He was smiling too. He still is at age 14!

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- biohazard23
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:45pm
  Praise be to God for that!
  
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bitterclinger
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:01pm
Hope all you Obama voters enjoy our medical technology now, ’cause it’s about to become a thing of the past as we all go on Medicare. If you haven’t researched “The Complete Lives Program,” you ‘ll learn that those under the age of 15 and over 50 are useless eaters and will be denied costly medical care in favor of “producers.”

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NumbuhOne
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:54pm
Hey Mom! Guess what’s in my diaper!

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- grimmster
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:03pm
  @numb aka encinom.
  The same thing thats in your head, moron……
  
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mixplix
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:24pm
The technology today is mind numbing and tomorrow more miraculous advances; I remember when appendicitis was life threatening.

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- Saving_the_Republic.com
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:48pm
  Yea enjoy all this medical technology & care now because when Obamatax kicks in stuff like this will be old memories of Americas once greatness.
  
  It will go from telling the mother “your son will need surgery but after it he will live a long life” to “we will give him the care he needs to make him comfortable and let nature take its course”…
  
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- loriann12
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:58pm
  When my son was born 22 years ago (and 5 months), we were told they didn’t know if he would live 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 months. He had a hole in his heart so big he didn’t have a murmer. They did a Pulminary Banding at 3 months, exploratory surgery at 15 months, and finally fixed it at 4 years. He’s still here.
  
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- The Giver
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:13pm
  I don’t think the advances will continue at this rate once Obamacare is completely implemented. But technology as advanced to the point of surgery while in the womb. Saving lives that’s what it’s all about.
  @Loriann- I ‘m glad your son did well!
  
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T-2
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:14pm
What a cutie.

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Back To Reality
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:12pm
Tetralogy…Shaun White had it. Now he’s a world class athlete.

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cloudsofwar
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:11pm
GOD is Great. Thank GOD.

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- Saving_the_Republic.com
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:50pm
  yea but God also gave us 60,000,000 people who chose to make Obamacare permanent where this type of care will someday become a faint memory of Americas once greatness
  
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- loriann12
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:11pm
  Saving, unfortunatley, you’re right. Cass Susstein doesn’t think life is worth living until about age 2. And ends at about 70, so if you’re a new born, or elderly, you don’t deserve care.
  
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Constantine Ivanov
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:11pm
Such a sweet boy!

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hatchetjob
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:08pm
That’s precious!

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biohazard23
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:03pm
Awww…. He’s beautiful!! Now I want another baby….

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- hatchetjob
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:09pm
  Hopefully Obamocare will allow you to. :0)
  
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- bitterclinger
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:03pm
  The British NHS did away with expensive epidurals years ago. It’s coming our way.
  
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- biohazard23
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:21pm
  @Hatchet, my age almost prevents me from having one more. If only I could convince Mr. Biohazard that we’re still young enough. :)
  
  @BitterClinger, no epidural?? YIKES!!!! That’s freaking barbaric!! I had a general the first time (emergency c-section) and a spinal the second. I can’t imagine delivering without anesthesia. That’s some crazy BS right there….
  
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