Efraín

Dr. Paula Nomura discovered a problem with Efraín’s heart during a normal postnatal visit when Efraín was just two weeks old. Dr. Paula told the baby’s parents, Efraín Sr. and Glenis, that he would need to be medicated and carefully monitored until it was possible to schedule an urgent heart surgery.

Efraín suffered from Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart condition that combines four cardiac abnormalities. He was admitted to the neonatal ward at the Montero Children’s Hospital where he could receive medication to keep him stable until his surgery. The expenses for his hospital stay and medication were adding up rapidly. Efraín Sr. worked as a motor-taxi driver to support his family, but decided he would need to sell his motorcycle to cover the cost of his son’s medications.

While Efraín Sr. and Glenis received support from their parents, they were at a loss as to how they could afford the complex heart surgery for their infant son. Fortunately, Dr. Paula Nomura was familiar with the Puente de Solidaridad Pediatric Heart Program. She suggested that the parents go to speak with Carmen, the social worker at Puente de Solidaridad. Carmen interviewed the parents, conducted a home visit with them, and determined their eligibility for assistance through the program.

Thanks to financial support from Dharma Social Projects and the willingness of Bolivian partner surgeons, Efraín was able to undergo a surgery on February 21 to correct the abnormalities in his heart. After the surgery, he was in delicate condition, but was released two weeks later. Baby Efraín remains under the careful watch of his parents and doctors as he adjusts to his new life at home.

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