Marie is a three-year-old girl from Haiti who likes to wear pretty dresses, clap her hands, and dance to music. Her father is a manager in a local supermarket, and her mother works at home. Marie is their only child.
Marie was born with a heart condition known as complete atrioventricular canal. This condition is characterized by a large hole in the heart that connects all four of its chambers, allowing blood to flow freely without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen. This condition is especially common in children like Marie who have Down syndrome, and it leaves her feeling sickly and weak.
Because of the nature of Marie’s condition, a diagnostic catheterization is required to determine whether her heart can be surgically repaired. During the procedure, doctors will insert a catheter probe into Marie’s heart to obtain detailed measurements. This procedure is not available anywhere in Haiti, so Marie will travel to the Dominican Republic to undergo this test.
$1,500 helps to cover the costs of passports and visas for travel to the Dominican Republic, five days of room and board, and medical facility fees.
“We are hoping that Marie can have heart surgery so she will grow up stronger and healthier,” shares Marie’s mother.