Guerline is 12 years old, and lives in central Haiti with her mother, father, and three brothers. She likes to go to school but she has not been able to attend for three years due to her heart condition. She likes going to church and helping her mother at home.
Guerline has a condition called rheumatic mitral valve regurgitation, in which one of the valves of her heart does not adequately pump blood because it has been damaged by a fever. As a result, blood backs up into her heart, leading to heart failure. She requires open-heart surgery to implant an artificial valve in her heart.
$1,500 will help fund this surgery, as well as all travel and transportation costs. Health City Cayman Islands is also contributing $10,000 toward Guerline's care.
“I am hoping that the problem with my heart can be fixed so I can go back to school,” Guerline shares.