Gedeon is a student from Haiti. He lives in Port-au-Prince with his mother and two older sisters. He is in high school and would like to study to become a doctor. Gedeon has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart was severely damaged as a result of an infection suffered in childhood; as a result, his heart cannot adequately pump blood through his body.
Gedeon will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On September 16th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will replace his damaged valve with an artificial implant. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $40,000 to pay for surgery.
Gedeon’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 Gedeon’s family overseas.
Gedeon said, “I am excited to be able to visit a new country and to get my heart back to normal.”