Benito
Parents of seven, Vilma and Henry realized that something was very wrong with their youngest child Benito, when he was about two months old. He became weak and had difficulty breathing, causing his parents to rush him to the emergency room. Tests revealed that Benito had Ventricular Septal Defect, a congenital heart defect that was severe enough to require surgery. Vilma stayed in the hospital with Benito for almost three months while he fought for his life. Henry returned to work driving a taxi to provide for their other young children, as well as try to earn money for Benito’s medical expenses.
As Benito struggled to breathe due to a lack of oxygen caused by the heart defect, his parents feared that without help, the surgery he needed would be out of reach. Fortunately, Vilma and Henry were referred to Puente de Solidaridad and Benito was accepted into our pediatric cardiac surgery program. On October 10, 2022, Benito had surgery to close the defect in his heart. Looking forward to a healthy life for Benito, his mother is filled with gratitude. “We are very grateful that there are institutions like you, since alone we could not have the operation for our child, God bless you for everything you do for children.”