International Children's Heart Foundation

Where Hope Comes to Life

VOLUNTEER

Archives for June 2017

Future Doctor In The Making

On our May 2017 trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, we met a young heart warrior who loves math and wants to become a doctor when she grows up. Thanks to your support, she now has a chance to make that dream come true.

Mariel

Ever since 12-year old Mariel was born, her parents knew she had a congenital heart defect that prohibited her from exercising. As she grew older she would get tired very easily, and even though she loved swimming and running, she could not do either. About a year ago they learned that her heart condition was getting worse – one of the valves in her heart was not closing properly.

Working Towards a Solution

Mariel’s parents worked together to help her and provide all the services she needed to get by.  One day last year, her doctor told them about the BabyHeart Mission coming to Santo Domingo and that they had the opportunity to fix their daughter`s condition. They were fortunate to have been selected by the medical team, and on Thursday, May 18th, Mariel’s heart was repaired. Just 5 days later, she was discharged from the hospital and was recuperating comfortably at home.

Mariel is now looking forward to being able to run and swim without a worry in the world. She is especially looking forward to going back to school where she can study hard, because some day she wants to be called Dr. Mariel.

To help bring hope to more children like Mariel, consider making a donation today.

Pre-Med Volunteer Highlight – Sessen Stevens

The BabyHeart Team welcomes pre-med and medical students on our medical mission trips.  It’s a great opportunity for students to learn and participate in a health care system that is part of a culture other than their own, and gain an in-depth look into the field of cardiothoracic surgery.  One such student who joined us on a recent trip is Sessen Stevens, a pre-med student at the University of Memphis.

Beyond Expectations

Prior to joining the trip, she had no idea of what to expect. Once she joined the trip, she was fascinated to see the interactions between the ICHF staff and the local medical team as they worked together to save lives.

“As a student, I left knowing procedures, defects, anatomy and different components of the surgery I had never known or thought of before! I was also given the unique experience of seeing a beating heart, which gave me a new appreciation for the human body.”

 Something to Remember

What had the greatest impact on Sessen was her interaction with the children and their parents before and after surgery.  She was able to see first-hand how life changing the operations were for the children, and how much of an impact it would have on their future.  Seeing their smiling faces as they left the hospital with their families is something she will always remember.

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“I am so grateful for the opportunity that was provided and the ability to go on the trip as an undergrad student.  The trip solidified my desire to work overseas in medicine in the future.  I’m super encouraged by ICHF, the volunteers and all the donors that are changing these children’s lives forever.”

Find out how you can join a BabyHeart mission as a Pre-Med or Med Student Volunteer.

Mission Statement

The mission of the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) is to bring the skills, technology and knowledge to cure and care for children with congenital heart disease in developing nations.  ICHF does this regardless of country of origin, race, religion or gender. Our goal is to make the need for ICHF obsolete. We work toward this goal through our medical mission trips, where we operate on children and educate local healthcare professionals.

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