Wilanka is eight years old and lives in Gonaives, a city on the west coast of Haiti. She lives with her mother, father, and three siblings. Her parents both find daily work occasionally, but they have not recently been able to work full-time. Wilanka is in the third grade and especially likes her math and science classes.
Wilanka was born with two heart conditions: infundibular stenosis, in which one of the four valves of her heart is too narrow, and ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. These defects combine to prevent enough blood from reaching her lungs, leaving her sickly and weak.
Her parents brought Wilanka to our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance. Wilanka will be receiving cardaic surgery on May 3. Her surgery has been subsidized in the amount of $5,000 by another organization, Gift of Life International. However, Wilanka still needs $1,500 to fund prep for this surgery.
“We would like to ask God to bless everyone who is helping Wilanka get her surgery,” says her mother.