Rebeca
Rebeca was born in the Bolivian mining town of Oruro right at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, all of the local hospitals were full of Covid patients and so Rebeca was delivered at home with the help of a midwife. When the hospitals resumed accepting patients, Rebeca’s parents took her in for a routine medical check-up. She seemed to be in good health, aside from passing colds. She was also small for her age, but no one knew anything was wrong.
In June of 2022, Rebeca suffered from a sever cold. Her parents took her to the local medical center where doctors first detected Rebeca’s heart murmur. She was referred to a cardiologist and began a round of expensive tests, including a diagnostic catheterization procedure. Doctors eventually diagnosed Rebeca with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and informed her parents that she would need surgery to close the hole in her heart.
Fortunately, Rebeca’s parents were referred to Puente de Solidaridad for assistance. Rebeca’s father shared, “When Rebeca was born, they didn't tell us anything. She was normal. She was just skinnier and smaller. One day she caught a bad cold and they told us that maybe she had anemia and we should take her to a specialist pediatrician. That's where they more or less guided us and indicated that my daughter had a problem in her heart. We have come prepared with some savings for the surgery, but it is a lot of money for us. We sold our car. Please collaborate with us to help our daughter.”
Before Rebeca was born, her father took out a loan to buy a car. He planned to drive it as a taxi to make money, but during the pandemic there was no work. When Rebeca’s illness started, they sold the car to help cover her mounting medical expenses as well as the expenses associated with moving to Cochabamba for Rebeca’s medical care.
Through collaboration with Puente de Solidaridad, the Herzeverein Foundation, the Goff Gift Fund, and the generous contributions of the Bolivian cardiology team, Rebeca underwent surgery to close the hole in her heart. Unfortunately, Rebeca suffered complications following the surgery. The doctors tried to resuscitate, but she succumbed to her illness. Rebeca passed away five days after surgery. Our hearts go out to all who were touched by her brief but valient life.