Michelsa is a young student from Haiti. She is in the first grade and likes art and music. Michelsa lives with her mother, grandmother, and two siblings in a city on the west coast of Haiti. Her mother sews school uniforms for a living.
Michelsa has a cardiac condition called pulmonary stenosis. One of the four valves in Michelsa’s heart is too narrow, making it difficult for blood to flow through it and leading to heart failure.
Michelsa will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 11th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use a balloon on the end of a catheter to stretch the valve open to a more normal size. Another organization, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $4,000 to pay for surgery.
Michelsa’s family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Michelsa’s family overseas.
Michelsa’s mother shares, “Our family is very hopeful that after this surgery, we can let my daughter run and play without worrying about her health.”
