Naika is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents, brothers, and sisters in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. She is in the seventh grade. Naika has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. Two of the four valves in her heart are damaged because of an infection she suffered earlier in childhood. As a result, her heart cannot properly circulate blood through her body.
Naika will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 27, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will attampt to repair her damaged valves; if this is not possible, they will implant artificial replacements. Another organization, The Mitral Foundation, is contributing $8,500 to pay for surgery.
Naika’s family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Naika’s family overseas.
Her mother says, “I am hopeful that after this surgery my daughter will gain strength and energy.”