Mario
Mario, 5-years-old, and his mom, Maria, live with his maternal grandparents who cover the family expenses while Maria is finishing her nursing degree. When Mario was born, the pediatrician noted a heart murmur but said it would likely resolve on its own. But as Mario grew, he suffered multiple respiratory infections and failed to put on enough weight. The doctors told Maria she needed to feed him more, but although he grew taller, Mario remained underweight, pale and lethargic. After he began kindergarten, the school administration reported to Maria that her son complained of chest pain during physical activities. The public hospital doctors no longer detected the heart murmur or any other explanation for Mario’s sickliness, so Maria borrowed money to take him to a private specialist who diagnosed Mario with a rare type of atrial septal defect adjacent to the vena cava.
Six weeks after Mario’s surgery at the private Los Angeles Clinic in Cochabamba, Maria reported to the Puente de Solidaridad social worker that Mario is actively playing and is noticeably gaining weight, for which the family is incredibly relieved and grateful.