Baylor Scott & White Heart Hospital

Gedeon is a 23-year-old college student from Haiti. He comes from a coastal city in southwest Haiti and is studying biology and science in the hope of one day becoming a cardiac echocardiographer. When Gedeon was younger, with help from the Watsi community, he underwent life-saving cardiac surgery in Texas to replace his damaged mitral valve. At the time, doctors knew his aortic valve was also damaged, but chose not to replace it due to the risk of the surgery. Now, Gedeon is ready to undergo a second surgery to replace his aortic valve. Gedeon has a cardiac condition called rheumatic aortic regurgitation. The valves of his heart were severely damaged by an infection he suffered in childhood, and now cannot adequately pump blood through his body. On May 21st, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $25,000 to pay for the surgery. Gedeon's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and follow up. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to support travel, labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. Gedeon said, "I know God made a miracle for me to have my first surgery, and is making another miracle for me now!"

Rachelle is a 35-year-old woman from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she lives with her husband. Although she is not currently employed, she hopes to resume her career as an accountant in the future. Rachelle has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. This condition resulted from an infection earlier in her life that severely damaged one of the four valves in her heart. The damaged valve is unable to pump blood effectively through her body, leaving her weak and struggling with shortness of breath. Rachelle will be traveling to the United States for life-saving treatment. On December 6th, she is scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery at Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, where surgeons will implant an artificial valve to replace her damaged one. Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital is contributing $28,000 to cover the cost of the surgery. However, her family also needs support to cover additional costs associated with surgery preparation. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund lab tests, medications, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. This amount also helps with securing travel documents for Rachelle’s family and covers travel expenses for social workers who will accompany her family overseas. Rachelle shares, “I am very thankful to everyone who is making the surgery possible for me. I could never manage to have surgery without you!”

Ronald is a 36-year-old high school teacher from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where he teaches civics and history at a local school. He lives on his own and is dedicated to educating young minds in his community. Ronald has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation, which has severely damaged one of the four valves in his heart. This damage, caused by an infection earlier in his life, prevents the valve from pumping blood efficiently through his body. As a result, Ronald often feels weak and struggles with shortness of breath. Ronald will be traveling to the United States to receive life-saving treatment. On December 16th, he is scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery at Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, where surgeons will implant an artificial valve to replace his damaged heart valve. Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital is contributing $28,000 to cover the cost of the surgery. However, additional support is needed to cover other expenses associated with Ronald’s treatment. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund the cost of lab tests, medications, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. The funds will also help secure travel documents for Ronald and cover travel expenses for the social workers who will accompany him during this journey. Ronald shared, “It is a miracle for me to have this surgery, and I would like to say thank you to everyone that has made this possible.”

Dgylanie is a 22-year-old woman from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she lives with her parents. Before falling ill, she worked as a seamstress, sewing clothes to support herself and her family. She dreams of returning to her profession once she regains her health. Dgylanie has a congenital heart condition called ventricular septal defect, which means she was born with a hole between the two lower chambers of her heart. This condition causes blood to leak through the hole, leading to weakness and eventually heart failure. Dgylanie will be traveling to the United States to receive life-changing treatment. On December 6th, she is scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery at Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, where surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in her heart to stop the blood from leaking. Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital is contributing $28,000 to cover the cost of the surgery. However, her family also needs help funding additional costs related to surgery preparation. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of lab tests, medications, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. The funds will also support securing travel documents for the family and travel expenses for social workers who will accompany Dgylanie and her family overseas. Dgylanie shares, “I am excited to be able to focus on my future instead of worrying about my heart.”

Odaline is a mother of two from Haiti. She lives with her husband and two school-age sons in a small village outside Port-au-Prince. Odaline has a cardiac condition called severe mitral and aortic regurgitation. Two of the four valves of her heart were damaged as a result of an infection she suffered earlier in life. As a result, her heart cannot adequately pump blood to her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. Odaline will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On December 2nd, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons may repair her heart valves or replace them with artificial implants. Another organization is contributing $28000.00 to pay for surgery. Odaline's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of labs, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Odaline's family overseas. Odaline shared, "My family and I are all praying for everyone who is helping me to have this surgery!"

Samantha is a 26-year-old mother from Haiti. She lives in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince with her husband and their one-year-old daughter. Samantha has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of her heart is damaged as a result of an infection she had earlier in her life. The valve cannot adequately pump blood through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. Samantha will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On September 9th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will repair the valve so that blood can flow through it more normally. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $22.000 to pay for her surgery. Samantha's family still needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers who will accompany Samantha's family overseas. Samantha says, "I am very excited to have this surgery so that I can go back to my daughter fully healthy."

Meet Macda, a 35-year-old mother of two from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her partner and their two children. She and her partner are both vendors. Macda has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. As a result of an infection that she suffered earlier in her life, one of the four valves of her heart does not function properly. This valve cannot adequately pump blood through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. Macda will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On August 27th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at Baylor Scott & White Heart Hospital, during which surgeons will either repair or replace her damaged valve, allowing it to function more normally. The hospital is contributing $25,000.00 to pay for the surgery. However, Macda's family also needs help to fund the cost of pre-surgical labs, medicines, and checkups, as well as follow-up appointments. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, will also need resources to secure travel documents and support for social workers who will accompany Macda's family on their trip to the U.S. They are requesting $1,500 to fund these costs. Macda said: "I have been praying for years to be able to have this surgery, and I am very thankful to everyone who is helping me to get it!"

Nadege is a 40-year-old mother of two from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her husband and two young daughters. She enjoys caring for her children and attending church. Nadege has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral and aortic regurgitation. Two of the valves in Nadege's heart are severely damaged as the result of an infection she suffered earlier in her life. As a result, blood cannot pump normally through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. Nadege will be traveling to the United States to receive treatment. On December 10th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will implant artificial valves to replace the damaged valves in her heart. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, will contribute $28,000 to pay for surgery. Nadege's family also needs help funding the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. The funds also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social worker from our medical partner, who will accompany Nadege's family overseas. Nadege says: "My family and I are very grateful that I can have this chance to be healthy again!"

Rose is a 35-year-old woman from Haiti. She lives with her mother in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Before becoming too sick, she worked at a clothing manufacturer. Rose has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation, where one of the four valves of her heart was severely damaged by a rheumatic fever she suffered earlier in life. As a result, her heart cannot adequately pump blood through her body and is beginning to fail. Rose will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On June 20th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove Rose's damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $20,000 to pay for surgery. Rose's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, checkups, and follow-up appointments. It also supports obtaining travel documents for the social workers who will accompany Rose's family overseas. Rose shares, "I am excited to get this surgery done so that I can focus on my future instead of on my heart problem."

Jean is a 30-year-old man from Haiti. He lives in Port-au-Prince with his sister and her family. Before becoming too ill to work, he drove a motorcycle taxi. Jean has a cardiac condition called aortic aneurysm, where part of the wall of his aorta has become weakened and is bulging into the blood vessel, limiting the circulation of blood through his body and putting him at risk of death if it ruptures. Jean will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On May 23rd, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use a catheter to insert a stent into the weakened portion of his aorta, expanding it back to a normal size and eliminating the risk of a rupture. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $20,000 to pay for surgery. Jean's family needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover lab tests, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. This will also support passport and other travel documents for the social workers who will accompany Jean's family overseas. Jean shared, "I have been very frightened for my life ever since I learned of my heart problem. I feel so blessed to be able to have this surgery!"

Junior is a 43-year-old man from Haiti. He lives with his wife and three daughters and travels throughout the country for his work as an air-conditioning installation technician. Junior has a cardiac condition called rheumatic aortic regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart no longer opens and closes properly as a result of an infection that he suffered earlier in his life. As a result, his heart can no longer adequately pump blood through his body, leaving him weak and short of breath. Junior will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On August 26th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which Surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $28,000 to pay for surgery. Junior's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and checkup and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents and supporting social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Junior's family overseas. Junior says, "My entire family is so happy to know that there is a chance for my heart to be fixed."

Peter is a college student from Haiti. He lives in a small city in southwestern Haiti with his parents and siblings. He is in his final year of studies for an informatics degree, after which he would like to become a computer technician or programmer. Peter has a heart condition called mitral regurgitation, which resulted from another heart condition that he was born with. The initial heart condition was surgically repaired six years ago, but before it was corrected it caused significant damage to his mitral valve, which he now needs surgery to repair. Peter will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On September 2nd, he will undergo cardiac surgery. Surgeons will repair Peter's valve so that it pumps blood throughout his body without leaking. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Hospital, is contributing $22000.00 to pay for surgery. Peter's family needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medication, and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Peter's family overseas. Peter says, "I am so glad to know there is a possibility to make my heart completely normal again!"