Serenah
Fifty-three-year-old Neysa is dressed in the traditional style of indigenous women in Bolivia. With two long braids, a full pleated skirt, and a plastic hat to protect her from the mountain sun. In contrast, her 7-year-old daughter Serenah wears a t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “Peace, Love, and Tik Tok.” This is a small example of the way of life in Cochabamba where tradition and modernity quietly co-exist.
Neysa was in her mid-forties when she gave birth to Serenah who was born what doctors would later diagnose as a wide atrial septal defect. Serenah is the youngest of Neysa’s eight children. So, while Serenah’s heart condition was a concern, Neysa put off seeking medical help for as long as possible due to the financial constraints of caring for a large family. In early 2020, Neysa’s husband was killed in a traffic accident on the way to work. The entire family was overcome with grief. Perhaps due to the stress and shock of this loss, Neysa developed partial paralysis in her face and body. In late 2021, when Serenah’s health symptoms became dire, her sisters pleaded with their mother to look for help.
Fortunately, through their search, the family learned about the Puente de Solidaridad/Solidarity Bridge Pediatric Heart Surgery Program. During a visit to the program office in Cochabamba, one of Serenah’s sisters said, “The truth is that in recent years so many things have happened to our family. Our mother finally understands that Serenah needs an operation. After losing our father, we could not handle losing anyone else. We ask for your support. Without it, we won’t be able to make this operation possible for our sister.”
Serenah was scheduled for surgery in April of 2022 at the Los Angeles Clinic in Cochabamba. Program partner surgeon Dr. Paola Rodriguez performed the surgery to close Serenah’s atrial septal defect with a synthetic patch. After one week in the hospital, the seven-year-old was able to finally return home.
One month after surgery, Puente de Solidaridad social workers contacted Serenah’s family to see how the little girl was doing. One sister shared that they really notice a difference in Serenah. She no longer suffers from heart palpitations which makes her feel much more at ease. Seeing Serenah regain strength has been a welcome source of hope for this family that has been through so much. The siblings expressed their deep gratitude to all who helped their little sister.