Ben is a toddler from Haiti. He lives with his mother and father in the mountains south of Port-au-Prince; his parents are both farmers. Ben has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart; blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath.
Ben will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On September 24th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will perform open-heart surgery to close the hole with a patch.. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $17,000 to pay for surgery.
Ben’s family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Ben’s family overseas.
His mother said, “We are excited for this surgery so our son can gain weight and have energy.”