Rory Feek says his daughter, Indiana, 12, is recovering and 'should live a full long life' after open-heart surgery

Rory Feek has revealed his daughter, Indiana, 12, is recovering after surgery to repair a congenital heart defect. 

Indiana, who has Down syndrome, was born with ventricular septal defect (VSD), a small hole in her heart. She was diagnosed with the condition shortly after her birth in 2014.

In an emotional update posted on his This Life I Live Substack, the country singer, 61, shared Indiana 'should live a full, long life' following the delicate procedure.

He described the moment he and his wife, Rebecca, Indiana’s stepmom, walked into the ICU room where Indiana was recuperating.

'Indiana heard our voice, her tears that began falling caused a chain reaction from her Mama and me,' wrote Feek, who has been involved in an , 38, with ex-wife Tamara Gilmer.

'Hers because she's frightened and in pain, and not fully understanding what's happening, and why she has all the tubes and wires attached to her. Ours because it hurts us to see her in so much pain that we can't make go away.'

Feek explained they’d known for a few months that Indiana would need open-heart surgery as the hole in her heart had begun to cause complications.

The operation was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but had been postponed to Thursday morning.

He added he wasn't sure Indiana needed the extra day, but he did 'to process all that her little heart, and ours, was about to go through.'