Ludmisha is four years old. She lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with her parents and older sister. Her father is a roofer, and her mother is a market seller. She goes to preschool and likes dressing up and going to church.
Ludmisha was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to get oxygen, leaving her feeling weak.
Ludmisha needs to undergo pediatric cardiac surgery at our medical partner’s care center, St. Damien Hospital. Surgeons will operate to close the hole.
First, Ludmisha will undergo a full cardiac assessment on January 17. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Ludmisha also covers the cost of medications and social support for her and her family. Gift of Life International is contributing $3,500 to cover additional costs associated with Ludmisha’s surgical care.
“We have been very worried about our daughter’s heart problem,” says Ludmisha’s mother, “and we are all praying that everything will go well this week!”