Valeria
Valeria, her parents, and her two, high-school aged sisters live in a two-room house made of tin and wood in a tropical region of Bolivia. Valeria’s father earns approximately $300 a month as a carpenter to support the family. Their finances are tight, and they have very little support from their extended family. Valeria, now in fourth grade, feels pressure on her chest and cannot do physical activities at school. Her parents were concerned for her health and took her to see a specialist.
Valeria’s mother shared, “When she was born the doctors did not notice anything. When she was six years old, we took her to the doctors for a cold and they told us that she could have a heart problem, but the specialist suggested that we wait until she was ten years old. Since the end of last year, she began to get increasingly delicate that is why we took her back to a specialist who suggested that surgery was urgently necessary because her heart is growing. As parents we are worried, but we want her to be healthy. For us the economic part is difficult because our family is poor. That is why we are looking for support. Thank you very much for everything you do for the children who need this type of surgery.”
With help from the Goff Gift Fund, Puente de Solidaridad, and the Incor Clinic in Santa Cruz, Valeria was scheduled for surgery in early May. She was released from the hospital five days later. Valeria’s parents and older sisters are taking good care of her so that she can heal and resume normal life and activities.