16-month-old Aria was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak. She will undergo open-heart surgery, in which a patch will be sewn over this hole. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, has requested $1,500 for treatment, which has already been partially subsidized by Gift of Life International.
Aria is an orphan and lives in a children’s home in Haiti on the same campus as the hospital where she will be having her surgery. She is very engaged with the world around her.
Aria’s surgery is scheduled for May 1. Fixing her heart defect will prevent complications later in life.
“Everyone here loves Aria very much,” the orphanage director expresses, “and is so happy to know that she can have this surgery!”