Ximena
Ariel and Frida are a young couple living in the Southern Zone of Cochabamba. They have two daughters. The younger daughter, Ximena, was born with a heart condition called Persistent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), which is a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart. The condition requires an expensive medical procedure to close the opening.
Ariel and Frida have known of their daughter’s heart problem since she was born and have been saving as much as they could to get medical help. Now as Ximena nears her first birthday, the young parents realize they won’t be able to afford the procedure on their own. Their cardiologist referred the couple to the Solidarity Bridge/Puente de Solidaridad Pediatric Heart Program. Soon social workers traveled to Ariel and Frida’s home to learn more about the family.
Ariel works as a brick layer’s assistant with a seasonal contract. He travels to remote areas for work, coming home only for a few days every couple of weeks. He works hard to support the family of four and also to set money aside for Ximena’s health needs.
Frida shared, “I have known about my daughter’s diagnosis since she was born. We have always worried about how we would pay because we know it is a very high cost. We have saved money little by little, but it is not enough. This procedure is necessary for my daughter to live a healthy life, but we can’t do it on our own.”
Thankfully, Ximena was scheduled for the cardiac catheterization treatment in early January 2021. Dr. Echazú at the Belga Hospital in Cochabamba performed the successful procedure and Ximena was released from the hospital the following day. The parents expressed their gratitude to Puente de Solidaridad, to the partner doctors, and to the Goff Gift fund for making this possible for their daughter. Six weeks after surgery, Frida reported that Ximena was doing very well and her health was greatly improved.