Roobens is a boy from Haiti. Roobens lives on a farm in central Haiti with his grandmother and cousins. His parents both work in the city but spend the weekends with him. He is in the first grade, and he likes to play with cars and superhero toys.
Roobens has a cardiac condition called called double outlet right ventricle, in which the aorta connects to the lower right chamber of the heart instead of the lower left chamber, as is normally the case. This causes blood to bypass the lungs without obtaining oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath.
Roobens will fly to Toronto to receive treatment. On March 13, he will undergo cardiac surgery. Another organization, The Herbie Fund, is contributing $60,000 to pay for surgery. Roobens’s family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Roobens’s family overseas.
His father says, “There are no words to express how grateful we are for everyone’s help in getting Roobens his surgery.”