Archives for May 2010

This is Reuben Martinez Calero, a six-year-old from Nicaragua. He lives with his parents and younger brother in San Rafael del Sur, Nicaragua, which is about two hours by bus from Managua. He is the same size as his two-year-old younger brother and he would get very tired and turn blue quickly when he tried to walk. Ruben knew, even at his young age, that something was wrong. He asked his mother, “Why so I get tired so fast? When will I be able to walk and play like the other kids?”

His mother brought Reuben to the Managua Hospital Salud Integral for evaluation where he was diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot, with which he was born. He was referred for surgery on May 1, 2008 where his heart was repaired by the International Children’s Heart Foundation medical team onsite from May 11-24, 2008.

Reuben recovered from his operation and went home with his parents several days after the operation. He can now live a normal life like other kids. Before leaving the hospital, we asked what he would like to do as soon as he gets home, Reuben smiled, “I want walk and play with the other kids.”

Reuben’s mother said, “I am grateful that my dream and Rueben’s dream has been realized-he will walk better.” She began to cry, but continued, “Our family is very poor and we are ever so grateful that the doctors and team from the United States helped my family and will help other poor people of Nicaragua.”

The International Children’s Heart Foundation would like to thank the Art for a Heart Club for sponsoring Reuben’s operation. It’s a wonderful demonstration of kids helping kids around the world.

This is Natalie – age 24 – she was operated on Thursday 13th of May – the fourth day – of the 8th Mission of ICHF to Kharkiv.

When I met her on Friday morning she slightly surprised me by speaking reasonably fluent English – she called me over in English – at this time she still had most of her tubes and wires in place – “Is my operation over, was I good?” – she was at this time less than 24 hours after her surgery “you have golden hands” she told me – a message I think to the whole team – she was hot and uncomfortable and I helped her sit up and sponged her back with a cold flannel –

She asked and I told her that today we would be taking out all her tubes – not to worry – and that she would have some medicine to make her a little sleepy and pain free while we did that , we did that – and she slept off the medication forma few hours – and then I took this photo..

Natalie is 24 years old- pictured with her sister Dina, 26., Natalie was born with an abnormal Aortic Valve which had become leaky and was in need of replacing. The defect had been diagnosed 2 weeks after birth – so Natalie knew she had a heart problem all her life – with this type of defect the usual plan is to wait as long as possible before any surgery – as the natural valve can still function well for many years. Natalie told me how in recent years she had become increasingly tired and sweaty and get a headache with any exertion- she also described how her hands and feet would swell up and she described them as “ugly” – she likes to swim, and d disco dancing 0 but cold not d this as much as she wanted to in recent years. When asked what she was most looking forward to in life now – she said (though her sister Dina who’s English was better than Natalies’ ) she wants to satisfy her soul, be pretty – get a husband and have children . Natalie – nd her sister both work as sales managers – which they described as “not hard work’ meaning physically she could manage that type of work with her heart problem.

She has a yellow and red cat – likes reading, swimming in the Black sea – likes driving a car and wishes someday to drive a motor boat, a popular pastime on the black sea by Odesa.

Natalie was very tired at the time of this picture – she wanted to leave the ICU and go back to her room – because she could not sleep here – her oxygen tube had been recently taken off her and if her oxygen levels stayed OK I told her she would for sure be able to leave in the next hours or two – I also told her that – subject to her surgeon Olga ( the local chief cardiac surgeon) she would probably be able to go home on Monday. Natalie was very surprised at this – and I fllowed up by asking what she was most looking forward to when she got home – “Drinking lots of cold water-” she said (fluid restriction after cardiac surgery makes many patients feel very thirsty) – se then looked away from me – grimaced – I thought she was going to laugh bust she started crying , wiped her eyes – and said that the other thing she was most looking forward to was holding her mother, and her brother.