Anna is an eight-year-old student from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her mother, father, and two younger brothers. Her father is a store clerk, and her mother is a teacher. She is in the third grade and likes all of her classes.
Anna has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects prevent her body from obtaining the oxygen it needs, leaving her weak and short of breath. Anna needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 19th, she will undergo heart surgery, during which time surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in her heart and remove the blockage from her valve. Another organization, Haitian Hearts Foundation, is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery.
Anna’s family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Anna’s family overseas.
Anna’s mother says, “Our family is hopeful that after this surgery, our daughter will have normal health for the first time.”
