Marie is a mother of two from Haiti. She lives with her mother and two sons in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; she previously worked in an apparel factory but had to stop working last year due to her cardiac illness. Marie has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral stenosis. One of the four valves of her heart was damaged due to an infection she suffered earlier in life, and she can no longer pump blood normally through her body.
Marie needs surgery that is not available within Haiti so she will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On October 19th, she will finally undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will attempt to repair her existing damaged valve; if this is unsuccessful, they may need to implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $25000 to pay for surgery.
Marie’s family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and followup. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments.
“I am hopeful that after this surgery, I can stop worrying so much about my health and my heart. I want to focus instead on my beautiful family and my future,” Marie shared.