Rosa was in her mid-thirties. She had recently married and moved from the tropical lowland of her home in Trinidad to the peaks of the Andes Mountains in La Paz. She and her husband had moved in search of better job opportunities and despite the challenges of the pandemic, they found steady work and began to dream of starting a family.

Soon after moving to La Paz, Rosa started to suffer from concerning symptoms. She was fatigued, and had headaches and difficulty breathing. Her symptoms became severe enough that she was unable to work. She went to the doctor and discovered that she had been living with a heart defect since birth. “For me it was such a surprise, because I’ve never had any problems with my health,” said Rosa. The doctor advised that she would need surgery, and recommended that she and her husband relocate to a lower altitude. The couple moved to Santa Cruz, but her symptoms did not improve.

Rosa might have lost hope in her future but with the support of donors like you, she received the specialized surgical care she needed. Rosa met with Dr. Orlando Jaldin, one of our allied doctors in Santa Cruz. He diagnosed her with partial anomalous venous return (PAPVR). This rare defect can often go undetected in children but is known to cause serious issues in adulthood. Recognizing the couple’s limited means, Dr. Jaldin referred Rosa to our Heart Program, where she received surgery in February. Now she can continue to pursue her dreams.

Centro Santa Maria de los Angeles (pictured above) is a women’s and children’s hospital in El Alto. It is one of the dozens of health centers that received equipment, supplies, and support from Solidarity Bridge this year. Centro Santa Maria also hosted our first mobile surgery campaign in the department of La Paz, bringing low-cost, minimally invasive surgery for vulnerable patients.