Yoli
Yoli, a high school student, is the only child of Alberto and Werlinda, who live in the community of Santa Clara in the southern Bolivian province of Tarija. They are subsistence farmers, living primarily on the crops and livestock they raise and selling some surplus in the local market for cash to pay utilities and other necessities.
When Yoli was 12 years old, she suffered a few fainting spells while participating in physical education exercises. At 15, she was diagnosed with heart arrhythmia, for which she was prescribed medication. But at 17, her health declined further, prompting her parents to seek an appointment with a specialist in Santa Cruz, an 8-hour bus ride away. Yoli was diagnosed with ventricular extrasystoles, or premature ventricular contraction (PVC). Yoli was treated via a radiofrequency ablation procedure performed via a catheter. After just one night at the new Clinica Las Americas hospital in Santa Cruz, Yoli was discharged and sent home. Her doctors are optimistic that this innovative, minimally-invasive procedure will stabilize her heartbeat, allowing Yoli to lead a full life.