Agnes was speechless when doctors told her that her seemingly healthy three-year-old daughter, Jane, had a VSD heart defect. Doctors recommended waiting on surgery to see if the hole in Jane’s heart would close on its own. In the meantime, Jane lived happily in Uganda with her parents and two older brothers.
Doctors kept an eye on Jane’s heart, and this past summer delivered news that made Agnes despair. The hole in Jane’s heart remained open, which leads to higher pressure in her lungs and reduced oxygen to her body. Because her heart had to work harder, Jane was at risk of future health issues that could become severe. The only way to help Jane was with surgery, but the family could not afford the cost of Jane’s operation on their own. Despite many sleepless nights, Agnes set out to find a way for her daughter to get the cardiac care she needed. Thankfully, she found her way to LWB!
When Agnes learned that sponsorship for Jane’s heart surgery was possible through our Uganda medical program, she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. Within a few weeks, this mother-daughter pair was making preparations to travel from Uganda to India for Jane’s operation with three other little girls who also needed cardiac care.
On the 1st day of the new year, Jane underwent a successful open heart surgery at Amrita Hospital.
After a successful surgery, she spent less than 24 hours in ICU and moved to the regular ward.
Jane is already walking the halls of Amrita Hospital and continuing with her respiratory therapy. What a joy it will be for her to return home to Uganda with a healed heart!
Friendly and fun-loving, Jane makes friends easily and has already become fast friends with the other three girls who traveled to India with her: Ada, Eleanor, and Minnie. (We’ve nicknamed this group of little heart patients “The Austen Girls” as they sound like sisters from a Jane Austen novel!)
We are so grateful to our supporters who gave time and resources to help Jane. May the new year bring renewed hope for a healthy future to these girls and so many other children who are waiting for the medical care they need.
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