Almir
Almir celebrated his first birthday at home with his family just days after undergoing open-heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. While Almir will probably not remember his first birthday, it surely will remain a special and poignant memory for his parents, older sister, grandparents, and so many others who supported him during a turbulent first year of life.
When Almir was born with a ventricular septal defect in his heart, his parents were devastated and did not know how their baby would survive. During this difficult period, Almir’s mother shared,
“We don’t have any savings. We even have trouble buying food. Our greatest hope is for our son to be healthy. We are doing everything within our reach. Please help to save our son’s life. We don’t have any other possibility. Sometimes we don’t even have milk for the baby. It’s very complicated to survive this situation.”
The parents were encouraged to learn about Puente de Solidaridad. Puente staff connected them with partner surgeons and over several months, they saved what they could to contribute. At the time, Almir was underweight and not eating properly. He struggled to breathe and was easily agitated. But with the support of the Puente de Solidaridad team, partner cardiologists, and generous donors, Almir was able to undergo surgery just in time for his first birthday. Puente social workers called the family a month after surgery and they received the good news that Almir is doing well, he is putting on weight, and much more calm than before. We hope that Almir will continue to grow strong in this new year of life.