Meet Charlie, a two-year-old girl from Haiti!
Charlie has a congenital heart disease called ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), describes her condition: “Charlie was born with two holes in her heart — one between the two lower chambers, and a second between the aorta and the pulmonary vein. Blood leaks through these holes without passing through the lungs for oxygen, leaving her weak and sickly and putting her at risk of death.”
Though her condition is serious and leads to shortness of breath, poor growth and weakness, HCA shares, “Charlie is a very happy and friendly girl, who smiles often. She loves listening to music and playing with her stuffed bear.”
Health City Cayman Islands is subsidizing Charlie’s treatment with a $7500 donation to provide life-saving surgery that will repair Charlie’s heart and restore it to normal function.
$1500 in Watsi funding will cover the cost of transporting Charlie overseas, as Haiti lacks facilities to perform pediatric cardiac surgery. This funding accounts for visa costs, airline fares, food support, calling cards for Charlie’s parents, and travel insurance.
As Charlie is her parents’ first and only child, this surgery means the world to her mother and father. Her mother expresses, “When we heard Charlie could have surgery, our family celebrated and praised God. We were very happy!”
