Six-year-old Nehemie lives with her mother and father in Haiti. She enjoys attending school and playing with friends in her kindergarten class.
“Nehemie was born with a heart defect called atrioventricular canal defect,” our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us. “Holes exist between the upper and lower chambers of the heart, allowing blood to pass freely through all four chambers. This leads to heart failure and deprives the body of oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak.”
“We have been very worried about Nehemie because she cannot keep up with the other children and gets tired very easily,” shares Nehemie’s mother.
To repair Nehemie’s heart defect, doctors will perform a surgical procedure known as cardiac catheterization. Using imaging as a guide, doctors will thread a catheter—a thin, flexible tube inserted into a blood vessel—from the groin to the holes in the heart. Next, they will position a mesh patch contained within the catheter to close the holes and then remove the catheter. Over time, heart tissue grows into and around the mesh to permanently close the holes.
For $1,500, HCA will provide the overseas preparation and transportation required for Nehemie’s surgery. Gift of Life International has donated $5000 to cover the costs of surgery and post-operative hospital care.
“Following surgery, Nehemie should be able to lead a normal life with no further symptoms from this condition,” says HCA. Let’s help make that happen!
