International Children's Heart Foundation

Where Hope Comes to Life

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June 7, 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.

Filed Under: News, Patient Stories Tagged With: Babyheart, Dominican Republic, ICHF, international children's heart foundation

September 14, 2016

Wendy’s Story

“I saw into her future.  That’s why I’m finally doing something about it.”  Wendy’s mom had postponed her 5-year-old daughter’s cardiac surgery since her diagnosis at 2 months of age. Doctors told her to hold off on the surgery until she was 6 months old. She returned, and they said wait a year. Then again another year.  “All the delays, I thought, it can’t be so bad afterall. So I stopped going,” explained Wendy’s mom Fedline on August 30, 2016, just before her surgery at Robert Reid Cabral Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Wendy 2

During most of her stay on the cardiology floor, Wendy is rapt in a video game. Beside her lay a neglected doll, unsurprisingly named “muñeca,” Spanish for “doll.” Back home in Los Frailes Segundo, just outside of Santo Domingo, Wendy’s grandmother is feeling the effects of neglecting the cardiac condition they both share. “Seeing my mom’s health decline these days, that’s what convinced me to bring Wendy back for the first time in 4 years. I thought, I don’t want that for my daughter. So here I am.”Wendy 3

Wendy entered the operating room at 9:45AM on a Tuesday to have her transitional atrioventricular canal repaired. She was placed on bypass at 11:22AM for a total of 74 minutes and underwent a successful and uneventful procedure. Wendy made it to ICU by 2PM, and graduated to the cardiology floor less than 20 hours later. About ICHF donors, staff, volunteers, and local partners, Wendy’s mom said, “I can’t put into words how grateful I am for everything that they do.”Wendy 4

Filed Under: Patient Stories Tagged With: Dominican Republic

September 14, 2016

Rancel’s Story

Two-year-old Rancel  absolutely refuses to settle for one measly lap around the surgery floor corridors. There’s really no telling how long he’d wander if the matter weren’t up to the nurses trailing him. They cheerfully lugged his chest tube and infusion pump this way and that way for a whole two laps. Frankly, no one can keep up with the little rascal anymore.

But that vitality wasn’t always a reality for Rancel. In fact, his life was quite the opposite. “He’s always tired,” his mom María explains the day before surgery. The young boy’s heart condition was discovered earlier this year. And although it was no surprise to mom, whose older daughter underwent the same procedure Rancel soon would, her concern is palpable in the hours leading up to his operation.Rancel 3

María speaks carefully, guarded, her mind absorbed in something distant and worrying. And it seems at first like Rancel is mirroring mom’s mood, although her countless glances at him make it hard to be sure who is emulating who. After parting for a brief 4 hours, when Rancel had his partial atrioventricular canal successfully repaired by an expert team of ICHF volunteers and local staff, he was delivered to the ICU at 8:20PM on August 30th, 2016.Rancel 4

He’s apparently eager to catch up on lost time. Rancel hopped out bed at the first opportunity, less than 17 hours after leaving surgery. His mom is grateful and hopeful. “I’ve only met wonderful medical professionals here, and I have no doubt that Rancel will have a long and energetic life.”

Rancel 5

Filed Under: Patient Stories Tagged With: Dominican Republic

September 14, 2016

Mileisy’s Story

The ICU is momentarily effervescent. Two-year-old Mileisy blows bubbles with adorable concentration. Tender smiles punctuate her strenuous exhales whenever she manages to launch a few bubbles into the air. Meanwhile, the two patients before her have graduated from bubbles to whistles and party horns. All are instruments of “play therapy,” toys that encourage patients to take deep breaths, a crucial part of recovery, but a painful thing to do after open heart surgery.

Mileisy 2

The last few days have been painful for some of the parents, too – certainly for Mileisy’s mom, Anairis. “I cried and cried while she was in there,” she admits about the six hours her daughter spent in the operating room, where surgeons successfully augmented her pulmonary artery. But Mom is collected now, on alert, her expression firm. “She’s a wild one. I have to really protect her from now on, more than I did before,” she says. It seems odd, because Mileisy is healthier now, stronger, so why protect her more? “I think that during her surgery – and heart surgery is no small thing – it was the closest I’d ever felt to losing her.”Mileisy 3

A few hours later on the cardiology floor, Anairis makes it a point to express her many thanks to everyone who made her daughter’s medical care possible. Meanwhile, Mileisy is coloring, play therapy that encourages her to sit up. Despite herself, every time she glances at her daughter grinning into a coloring book, Anairis’ face discloses moments of genuine, if brief, delight and relief. Perhaps play therapy is as emotionally restorative as it is physically, and a bit contagious, too.Mileisy 4

Filed Under: Patient Stories Tagged With: Dominican Republic

May 26, 2016

Trip Recap: BabyHeart Team Returns From Second Trip to Dominican Republic

New Cardiac Surgical Program Continues to Grow in Santo Domingo

Mother Kissing SonThe BabyHeart team recently returned from their second trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where 27 children were served in a 2-week period. Sixteen life-saving surgeries were performed, and 11 heart catheterizations were completed at Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral (HRRC). All of this while the team continues to establish an independent and sustainable cardiac surgical program and cardiac ICU for this area.Fundacion Latiendo Por Ti 2

Keys to Success

 In order for programs such as this to succeed, we need to have local organization and government involvement to ensure its longevity. Thanks to Fundación Latiendo Por Ti and the administration of HRRC, we have this in Santo Domingo. The support from both have been outstanding, and the level of excitement surrounding the program helps to keep the energy going as we continue our educational initiatives at the hospital.

 

Ashley-ALCAPARestoring Hope

Out of the 16 surgeries that were performed, one such surgery was on 6-year old Ashley. She was diagnosed with ALCAPA, a serious condition involving the left coronary artery that can cause serious damage to the heart if left untreated.   The fact that she survived 6 years with this condition was rare, but the BabyHeart team was able to repair the defect through a successful surgery. After a short stay in ICU, Ashley was discharged and is back home with her family.

 

Continue Making Progress

As we continue our mission in Santo Domingo and make plans for our third trip later this summer, we look forward to advancing our education initiatives in multiple areas and continue to head in the right direction with establishing a permanent and sustainable program at HRRC. We would love to schedule a fourth trip this year to keep the momentum going. This much needed 4th trip can only happen with the support of our generous and responsive donors and sponsors. Consider making a donation today and, together, we can make this dream a reality!

 

EducationSpecial Thanks to IWK Health Centre, Fundación Latiendo Por Ti, Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral for their support of this program

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Dominican Republic

Free Child Heart Surgeries

7,925 Total Surgeries

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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