Meet Laurie, a sweet 15-year-old from Haiti. She lives on an island off the coast of the mainland with her parents and several younger siblings. She's in the eighth grade, and loves playing with her classmates at school.
Unfortunately, Laurie is living with a heart condition called patent ductus arteriosus, where a hole in the heart which normally closes after birth remains open. As a result, not all of the blood that circulates through her body passes through her lungs to obtain oxygen, and she is frequently out of breath and fatigued. Without surgery, this condition could be fatal.
Because she lives on a remote island off of Haiti, her family cannot afford both the travel and the treatment for Laurie. This is where we come in! For $1,500, Laurie will receive surgery to repair the hole in her heart and allow her to live a long and healthy life.
"I am excited to have surgery because I don't like being tired all the time and want to be normal like all of my classmates," Laurie says. Let's help Laurie regain her energy, her time spent with friends and family, and her health!