Ribert is 14 months old. He lives in Port-au-Prince with his mother, who works as a paralegal, and with his grandparents. He especially likes playing with his grandparents while his mother is at work.
Ribert was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. Ribert also has Down syndrome.
Ribert will fly to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On May 19, she will undergo cardiac surgery. This $15,000 surgery is subsidized by Have a Heart Cayman Islands. Ribert’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 Ribert’s family overseas.
“I have been praying that Ribert would live long enough to have this surgery. I am glad we are so close to the day,” says Ribert’s mother.