Three-year-old boy Manael lives in a small town in southwest Haiti with his mother and one older brother. His mother sells household supplies in the local market, and although Manael is shy, he enjoys playing with his brother and neighbors.
Manael was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole in the heart that normally closes shortly after birth remains open. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, has requested $1,500 for Manael to receive surgery to seal the hole. The treatment has already been partially subsidized by Gift of Life International and will occur on April 30.
“I am so happy that Manael can have this surgery,” Manael’s mother expresses, “so that he can start preschool next year!”