Ana
For infants with congenital heart problems, even the simplest cold or fever can become a major cause for concern. When Ana was born, her health was so continuously fragile, her mother Carla said it was like caring for glass.
Ana was diagnosed at birth with a heart condition called ventral septal defect (VSD). A VSD is a hole in the septum that divides the two lower chambers of the heart. Carla regularly made the nearly two hour commute with Ana for consultations with cardiologists who recommended surgery was necessary to correct this defect. In the months leading up to the surgery, Ana was hospitalized several times for problems related to her heart condition.
These health scares and frequent trips to the city put an enormous strain on Carla, who also cares for two older daughters. Carla and her three girls live in the small town of Portachuelo, outside of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Carla quit her job to provide full-time care for Ana. She is separated from her husband but receives some financial support from him to cover the family’s basic living expenses. The expenses related to Ana’s health problems were becoming untenable and when faced with the prospect of surgery, Carla had to look outside for help. She sought help from family and together, they organized a fundraiser within the local community. Carla felt hopeful in January of 2019, when Dr. Freddy Romero at the Incor Hospital referred the family to Puente de Solidaridad for financial assistance. With the support of funding from Dharma Social Projects and her family’s local fundraising, Carla began to see a ray of hope after a long and stressful struggle to save her daughter’s life.
Carla shared, "I'm doing everything that the doctors tell me. My daughter wants to live. She’s fighting hard. I really do not know what I would do if something happened to my baby girl. God bless you. I have no words to express the gratitude for all the support you have given. Without it, my child would not be able to access surgery. God bless you always."
By June, the family was able to complete the necessary labs and Ana was stable enough to be admitted for surgery. Bolivian surgeons Dr. Barrientos and Dr. Jaldín performed the surgery to close the hole in Ana’s heart. After five days, baby Ana was discharged from the hospital. Carla and her family were overjoyed to bring Ana home and are lovingly tending to her recovery.