“I have been very nervous about this surgery ever since I learned I would have it,” shares 12-year-old Cedric. “I am glad it will be done soon so I can stop worrying!”
Cedric was born with a heart condition called atrial septal defect. He has a hole between the upper two chambers of his heart. “Blood passes through this hole and back to the body without first obtaining oxygen,” explains our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “This leaves him constantly short of breath and unable to exert himself. If untreated, this condition could become fatal.”
“Cedric lives in Port-au-Prince with his mother and twin five-year-old brothers,” continues HCA. “He is a survivor of the 2010 earthquake, and was in a building that partially collapsed but he exited safely. He likes playing video games, and enjoys soccer when he has the energy to play.”
For $1,500, we can help Cedric travel overseas to a hospital with cardiac specialists who can perform surgery to repair the hole in his heart. Following the closure of the hole between his atria, Cedric’s heart should engage in normal blood flow. He will have full relief from his symptoms.