Nineteen-year-old Jeff lives with parents and two sisters in Haiti, and he enjoys singing in his church choir. Currently in the ninth grade at his high school, Jeff would like to become a doctor or engineer.
“Jeff was born with a condition called atrial septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of his heart,” our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us. “Blood flows through this hole without passing through the lungs to get oxygen, leaving him sickly and out of breath. This condition could become fatal if not treated.”
To repair the heart defect, Jeff will undergo cardiac catheterization. In this surgical procedure, doctors use imaging to thread a catheter from the groin to the hole in the heart. They position a mesh patch contained within the catheter to close the hole and then remove the catheter. Over time, heart tissue grows into and around the mesh to permanently close the hole.
With $1,500 in funding, HCA will provide the overseas preparation and transportation required for Jeff’s surgery. International Children’s Heart Foundation has donated $5,000 to cover the cost of surgery and post-operative hospital care.
HCA shares, “Following closure of the hole in his heart, Jeff should be able to lead a healthy life with no further cardiac symptoms.”
