Miriam
Miriam was born in 2016 in her home city of La Paz, Bolivia. Her parents took the baby to all her check-ups, where the pediatrician noted that the baby was not growing as steadily as she should. When Miriam was a year old, the pediatrician detected a heart murmur and suggested they take her to a specialist, but the public hospital did not offer cardiac diagnostics or treatment. The family did their best to care for their little girl, but additional symptoms emerged in the following months, including frequent nosebleeds, loss of appetite, and shortness of breath. When Miriam was two years old, her parents were able to access more in-depth diagnostic services through the Kardiozentrum heart clinic in La Paz. There, cardiologists recommended surgery to repair several congenital malformations. Again, the family could not afford care, so they put it off while setting aside whatever money they could after paying just their basic needs of food and utilities. Around the time Miriam turned six, the family still did not have enough money for surgery, but her condition was rapidly declining. In the words of Miriam’s mother, “I can’t see my daughter like this anymore. We are determined to get her the surgery. Sometimes she can’t even run anymore.”
By this point, Miriam needed bypass surgery to repair a hole in the muscle between her lower heart chambers, and even more critically, to reconstruct an incomplete aortic arch. These defects had led to cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) and significant strain on her pulmonary artery. Surgery was now urgent to avoid further damage. The Kardiozentrum Foundation associated with the La Paz clinic of the same name helped connect Miriam and her family to Puente de Solidaridad (PdS) in Cochabamba. Two of PdS’s most highly-skilled partner surgeons, Dr. Carlos Brockmann and Dr. Paola Rodriguez, performed the open heart surgery on March 6, 2023. Miriam remained in the recovery ward another week before returning home to her family. In a follow-up interview one month after the surgery, Miriam’s mom reported, “Our family life has changed! [Miriam] is resuming her daily activities and has more energy and better color.” Everyone is delighted with these excellent results from an especially challenging surgery.
Thank you to the Goff family for helping to make this life-saving surgery possible.