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LWB’s Cardiac Care Program: A Last Chance for Healing

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What if where you were born determined whether you would survive childhood?

Love Without Boundaries began in 2003 with an international effort to save the life of one orphaned boy in China desperately in need of heart surgery. Since that time, we have helped over 1,300 children with congenital heart defects receive the essential cardiac care they deserve through our medical programs.

Young girl in Uganda awaiting cardiac surgery

It is a sad reality that up to 90% of babies born with heart defects in developing countries do not have access to the healthcare they require. The location of their birth often dictates their very survival.

For many children, poverty is the cruel barrier that prevents them from receiving life-saving medical care. For countless others in underdeveloped nations, advanced cardiac hospitals and specialty doctors are simply not available.

Tiny baby hand holding an adult hand

LWB is committed to providing equity in care to these vulnerable children through our comprehensive and compassionate Cardiac Care program.

Continuity of Care in our Cardiac Surgery Program

Every child deserves a chance at a healthy and vibrant life. That’s why factors like accessibility, strong partnerships with leading hospitals, and our unwavering commitment to comprehensive care set us apart in the charitable space.

Young Ugandan girl in a pink and orange dress holding a doll

Our Cardiac Care program stands with underprivileged children and their families every step of the way. We not only help with the details of surgery preparation and travel arrangements but also provide emotional support to families who are often overwhelmed after receiving news of their child’s cardiac diagnosis.

Cardiac Care in Uganda

When our work in Uganda began in 2017, we quickly became aware of countless children in desperate need of life-saving heart surgeries.

Ugandan toddler girl in hospital bed after cardiac surgery

Our strong relationships with community leaders and healthcare providers, both in-country and overseas, led to the creation of an impactful medical travel program overseen by an experienced cardiologist and team of local nurses. This medical travel program has enabled over 80 Ugandan children to receive the surgical care that they otherwise could not access or afford.

Cardiac Partnership with Amrita Hospital

Amrita Hospital in India offers affordable costs for its services, making it an ideal partner for our cardiac initiative. The reduced cost of surgeries at Amrita Hospital allows LWB to provide life-saving heart surgeries to more children in need, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder access to quality medical care.

Aerial view of Amrita Hospital in Kochi

These cardiac surgeries have made a significant impact on the lives of these children and their families, providing them with the necessary medical care for a brighter future.

Why Support LWB’s Cardiac Care Program?

Even more important than our top-rated charity status is our promise to the children, their families, and our supporters to live out integrity and compassion every single day. Many of our team members have children who have faced complex health issues themselves, so we understand how hard it is to learn that your child has been born with a condition that can take their life.

Girl pudding a big teddy bear while lying in hospital bed after cardiac surgery

LWB is also known as a charity that provides help as quickly as possible. For children with heart defects, every day they wait for cardiac care can impact their very survival.

We Get Stuff Done!

One of our core values is that “we get stuff done.” A big way we do this is for children in need of cardiac care is by working with specialized travel companies to get the children home as soon as they are fit to fly (because we know home is where kids recover best).

Toddler in red clothes sitting on his mom's lap in Uganda

One of the things that sets us apart from other charitable cardiac care programs is our tailored approach. We understand that each child is unique, and we adapt our efforts to respond to those specific needs, providing personalized care and support that truly transforms lives.

7 Hearts, 7 Days: Last Chance for Healing

The generosity of this community has already made it possible to heal over 80 little hearts from Uganda alone. Yet, the need continues to grow, with daily requests for help from parents facing the unbearable thought of losing their child. Our cardiology advisors have identified 7 babies and children who still have a chance at life, but only if they receive urgent surgery.

Baby girl in pink lying in hospital bed waiting for cardiac surgery

Our 7 Hearts, 7 Days campaign is a race against time to save 7 precious lives in Uganda, offering them a last chance for healing. For all 7 children to receive their operations, we need to raise $70,000 this coming week. Yes, it’s a huge goal, but we also know this campaign is their final hope. 

Baby Alma: A Child Waiting for Cardiac Surgery

Three-month-old Alma is one of the children in urgent need of surgical intervention. She is the third daughter of a husband and wife living in rural Uganda. When Alma experienced recurring respiratory infections just weeks after her birth, her mother took her to the local hospital for treatment. From there, she was referred to the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) for further evaluation.

Testing showed that Alma had been born with the rare condition of truncus arteriosus, meaning that she had only one major blood vessel leaving her heart instead of two, so her oxygenated and deoxygenated blood were combined. Doctors advised that Alma would need surgery before the age of 6 months in order to survive.

Tiny baby in need of cardiac care in Uganda wearing a pink cap

Alma’s mother was referred to LWB and immediately reached out to our Uganda team. She even traveled to our main Uganda office to show our staff just how frail and sickly her daughter was. Thankfully, we were just weeks away from sending our next group of children to the Amrita Hospital in India, and now Alma has her chance for healing.

Tiny baby in white sweater awaiting cardiac surgery

Please consider donating towards Alma’s life-saving surgery and keep her in your prayers for a successful operation and speedy recovery.

Cardiac Surgery Success: Ada

Four-year-old Ada benefitted from last year’s cardiac care campaign and had her life-saving operation in January of 2023. By the age of two, she was growing increasingly fatigued with repeated chest infections. At that time, Ada’s parents sought medical help and learned she had been born with a large Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), or hole in her heart.

Mom in red t-shirt holds her daughter in a flowered shirt

Ada’s parents were unable to afford the surgery that she needed, so her father began to search the internet for sources of financial help. Thankfully, he came across LWB’s website and applied for our assistance, and we were able to send Ada to Amrita Hospital for heart surgery.

This tired and vulnerable child surprised us all when she spent less than 24 hours in the post-op ICU and was up and walking the halls in no time. Now, a year later, Ada has grown taller, put on weight, and has much more energy. She attends school and can run, play, and keep up with her classmates.

Young Uganda girl in blue and white tie-dye holds up two fingers

With her heart issues now a thing of the past, you can see that Ada has loads of spunky personality!

Give Now to our Cardiac Care Program

Will you join us in this critical mission? Your support for our Cardiac Care program can save lives, transform futures, and continue the legacy of love and healing that began over two decades ago.

Young Ugandan girl in braids and a blue gingham dress waiting for cardiac surgery

Let’s give 7 children in Uganda their last chance for healing. Donate to our Cardiac Care program today and be a part of their journey towards a brighter, healthier tomorrow.

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