A Heartfelt Thank You from Our Youngest Patients
Nothing symbolizes Valentine’s Day quite like a heart; so today we would like to share with you some heartwarming stories of our pediatric heart patients. Each of these patients received life-saving surgery in 2019 through a surgical campaign coordinated by our Heart Surgery Program, with critical funding provided by the Goff Family Foundation. Surgeons from Texas Children’s Hospital working with their Bolivian counterparts at the Incor Clinic in Santa Cruz performed twenty-three surgeries during the week long campaign last fall.
FIORELLA
Diagnosis: Persistent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
Fiorella, 3
When their youngest daughter fell ill with pneumonia at seven months old, Fiorella’s parents rushed her to the hospital. During routine tests, doctors found several concerning heart complications. The news came as a huge blow to the family. “As parents, we felt that the world was falling,” they said. Fiorella would eventually require surgery, but the costs were insurmountable for the family, so they worked hard to keep her healthy as long as they could. When Fiorella fell sick again last year, they knew they needed to find a way to make the surgery happen.
Seeking help in Santa Cruz, Fiorella’s parents learned of the upcoming heart surgery campaign. After an interview with a social worker from Puente de Solidaridad, three year old Fiorella was included among the patients operated on during the campaign week. In September, Fiorella received her life-saving corrective surgery. Her parents said, “For us, the help is really important. We are very grateful for all the efforts and support.`` They now look forward to a bright and healthy future for Fiorella.
JOB
Diagnosis: Tricuspid Atresia
Job, 2
Two-year-old Job is the baby of a crowded household that includes his mom and dad, plus four older siblings and a grandmother. Job was born with a rare and complex heart malformation known as tricuspid atresia. Thanks to the rapid mobilization of funds through our Heart Surgery Program, his life was saved when he underwent his first heart surgery at just two days old. Since then, his condition has required continued specialized care. As he approached his second birthday, doctors told his parents he would need another surgery, known as the Glenn procedure, an operation that is rarely performed in Bolivia.
Job’s parents were grateful for the continued support they found at the Santa Cruz office of Puente de Solidaridad. On September 1, 2019, Job’s surgery was successfully performed by the visiting team from Texas Children’s Hospital.
MELISSA
Diagnosis: Subaortic Stenosis
Melisa, 16
“When my daughter, Melisa, was born, they told me she had a heart murmur, but that it would close over time,” said Melisa’s mother. The family continued on with their lives, but years later, Melisa’s health was deteriorating. Her mother shared, “she began to feel pain in her shoulders and shortness of breath when walking. Last year, I took her to the emergency room because she had severe pain in her chest,” New tests showed that she would need heart surgery, but the cost was impossible for her family. “We live from day to day.”
But the family’s prayers were answered when they learned of our pediatric heart surgery program. U.S. and Bolivian surgeons worked together to perform a complex open heart surgery requiring a heart-lung bypass machine. The surgery was a success and Melisa was released from the hospital four days later. Melissa’s parents expressed the gratitude they feel, “For us as parents, your help is a great opportunity for our daughter to be well and get ahead. Thank you very much for the help you have given and for continuing to help so many children who need these surgeries.”
Thank you for opening your heart to so many young patients in Bolivia. Because of the generosity of our donors these children now have a hope for a rosy future. What could be sweeter than that? Happy Valentine’s Day from Solidarity Bridge!