Jorge
Jorge was born in early February 2023, the first child of young newlyweds Ana and Rodrigo. The three share a room in Ana’s grandmother’s adobe home on the southern outskirts of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Rodrigo earns about $215 dollars a month hauling bags of cement for a construction supply store.
The nurse who attended Jorge’s birth did not register any health concerns, and sent the baby home with his parents. But within days it was clear he was not breathing properly, struggling and turning blue when nursing. Back at the hospital, nurses recorded his oxygen saturation levels dropping below 70%, indicating a life-threatening lack of oxygen. Jorge was admitted in critical condition to the Albina Patiño pediatric hospital in Cochabamba. At 17 days of age, cardiologists there diagnosed Jorge with a list of ten distinct cardiac anomalies. But he was a fighter, and his parents and extended family were determined to fight with him. It was a very challenging case, but pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Carlos Brockmann agreed to perform open heart surgery to attempt to reconstruct Jorge’s tiny heart. The surgery took place on February 24, when the baby was not even three weeks old. He was discharged to return home in his family’s care on March 7.
As of the last day of March, Jorge still requires supplemental oxygen. The Puente de Solidaridad staff continue to support the family in the hope that Jorge can grow stronger and live a normal life. The family is deeply grateful to his doctors and nurses and to Puente de Solidaridad, Solidarity Bridge, and the Goff family, who together have made it possible for Jorge to receive high quality care and the best chance to overcome his severe health challenges.