Nazlí

Nazlí, a ten-month-old baby diagnosed with a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), arrived at Puente’s office with her parents one early morning. They had travelled all night by bus from Potosi using all their savings. Thanks to a recent institutional agreement between Puente de Solidaridad and the Potosí Gobernación, Nazlí’s parents learned that there might be help available in Cochabamba. You see, in Potosi there are no pediatric cardiologists, nor hospitals that have the right equipment for the complex surgery she needed. Tania was referred to Hospital Belga where it was determined that she needed further tests and likely surgery.

Nazli’s father, Victor, is a young man who works as a miner’s aid in the Potosi mines. His job is the lowest paying job at the mines. His salary is variable, making roughly US$180 on a good month. With rent and daily expenses for food there is little money left for Nazli’s lifesaving surgery. Nazlí’s mother was concerned because her baby was not feeding well. She also did not develop well and was small compared to other babies her age. In talking with Nazli’s parents, they both expressed fear for Nazli’s health, but most of all hope and gratitude for the solidarity offered to them by Puente de Solidaridad’s Hearth Program and its allied doctors. Nazli had surgery at the end of January and she is recuperating well in her hometown of Potosí.

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