Gael
Gael, 16 months, lives with his mother, Carolina, and his grandparents in their rented, two-bedroom home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Due to his fragile health, Carolina stays home to take care of Gael. Gael’s grandfather, a plumber, is the sole breadwinner for the family.
At Gael’s one-month check-up, the pediatrician noticed his blue fingertips, a sign of low oxygen levels in his blood. Cardiologists diagnosed Gael with congenital pulmonary valve stenosis -- the heart valve that transfers oxygen from his lungs to his heart was too narrow. Minor cases of pulmonary valve stenosis are sometimes manageable without intervention, but by the time he was a year old it was clear that Gael needed surgery. On February 6, 2021, Dr. Hornez of the Incor Clinic in Santa Cruz performed a balloon dilation valvuloplasty, a procedure in which the doctor inserts and inflates a tiny balloon into the valve to gently dilate the opening. The procedure was a success and Gael was discharged the next day.
After the surgery, the Puente de Solidaridad social worker in Santa Cruz, Carmen Salses, stayed in close contact to monitor Gael’s continued recovery. While doctors were preparing for the valvuplasty surgery they had discovered additional malformations, this time affecting the walls that separate the left and right heart chambers. Gael underwent another surgery on February 26. As of mid-March, Gael continued in the hospital. Carmen and the entire Santa Cruz staff of Puente de Solidaridad continue to accompany the family and support them any way they can.
Gael’s treatment at the prestigious Incor Clinic – the only specialized heart hospital in Santa Cruz equipped for such a complex case -- would not have been possible without support from the Puente de Solidaridad/ Solidarity Bridge Heart Program and funds from the Isaac and Renee Goff Gift Fund. Carolina told the Puente de Solidaridad she will be “eternamente agradecida con todo el apoyo” (eternally grateful for all the support) for her and her son.