Four Heart Patients, Far From Home

For the past few weeks, our LWB India team has been busy welcoming and caring for four little heart patients who traveled from Africa to Amrita Hospital for surgery unavailable to them in their home countries. While the children prepare for their operations and recover, their parents stay together in the regular ward of the hospital and provide each other with moral support as they wait for their children to get their essential cardiac repairs.

Raphael was one of the first of our little heart patients to go in for his operation. Doctors were very pleased with the result, and Raphael and his mother were soon reunited on the regular ward. They look so happy to be together!

Baby Angelica is the youngest baby in this group of travelers, and her surgery was considered the highest level of complexity possible. Following a very long surgery, she made it through and was quickly weaned off the ventilator.

Unfortunately, Angelica’s mom has become ill with a fever and is unable to be with her daughter. We know these two are missing each other fiercely, so please keep them both in your thoughts and prayers.

Malcom was born with a large aortopulmonary window (AP window) heart defect, a very rare condition. When he arrived in India, doctors discovered he had malaria, and they could not operate until his illness was under control.

This past week, Malcom’s mom anxiously awaited as the medical team wheeled him off to surgery. Thankfully, he is stable and recovering well!

Will arrived at the hospital in a weakened state, with oxygen levels only in the 30s. He was expected to have heart surgery while at the hospital in India but instead could only have a stent put in place to improve those levels. Will’s dad could see an immediate difference in his son’s energy following this procedure as he used to get winded just from sitting up. Will was recently busy playing with Raphael and now has pink toes — always a great sign for a child suffering from low oxygen!

Will did have a small complication and doctors had to do a stent revision for him, but thankfully he is doing better and is ready to fly home with his dad this week. We know Will’s mom will be overjoyed to reunite with her beloved son.

Raphael, Angelica, and Malcolm will be in India for a few more weeks as they recover, so please keep the thoughts, prayers, and support coming their way.

• Give to help with Malcom’s medical expenses
• Give to help with Raphael’s medical expenses

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