Santiago
Santiago is in his first year of high school in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. However, lately he has been unable to attend school due to persistent heart problems. Santiago’s mother, Erika, shared:
"On many occasions, my son told me that he experienced shortness of breath. We didn’t think that it was serious until last October when we noticed he was becoming very bloated. We took him to a health clinic near our home and they told us he had a heart problem and referred us to Fundacor. They did analysis and told us that he required surgery. When they told us this, we didn’t know what to do or think. We were concerned about Santiago but didn’t have the economic resources. Your help is so important because the surgery is very expensive."
In late March, at the Incor Hospital in Santa Cruz, Drs. Barrientos and Jaldín operated to close a large opening in Santiago’s heart (atrial septal defect.) Santiago was discharged from the hospital five days later to return to being a big brother to his three younger sisters. This surgery would not have been possible without the generous support of Dharma Social Projects. Santiago’s mother said,
"We are very grateful for the work you do on behalf of the children. Thank you and May God bless you."