José
José stayed an extra week in the hospital after he was born five weeks early and underweight in August 2021. Two months later, his mother rushed him to the public Children’s Hospital of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where he spent the next three months struggling to breathe. Pediatric cardiologists diagnosed him with Tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four congenital heart defects. Even under the hospital’s care, doctors warned his parents José might not survive. But the tiny baby was a fighter, and his parents, despite their humble origins, were determined to fight for his life as well.
Surgeons at the Incor Clinic decided to attempt a full repair of his malformations in one highly–complex surgery. Even at the “solidarity rate” charged by the hospital for low-income patients, the surgery, plus pre- and post-op care, would be exceptionally expensive. José’s father makes about $360 dollars a month driving a taxi, more than half of which goes toward food for the family of six.
The family turned to Solidarity Bridge/ Puente de Solidaridad for help. Thanks to support from the Goff Gift Fund, José underwent surgery in March 2022, when he was just seven months old. After ten days at the Incor Clinic, he was transferred back to the Children’s Hospital while continuing to recover. Puente de Solidaridad social workers continue to accompany the family as they nurse their precious infant to health.