12 year old Hevi underwent a heart catherterization on August 14th that revealed one hole in her heart and an obstruction of the left pulmonary valve. Both of these problems the doctors have confirmed can be fixed, however, she is also missing a left pulmonary artery, which poses a big challange to these surgeons. Hevi and her mom will find out soon what her prognosis will be and how much these surgeons will be able to correct on her heart.
Hevi, and other children like her, arrive at this hospital with huge hopes hanging in the balance. We’re honored to be able to share in brokering some hope for these kids and their families. The funding we provide is able to secure the utmost care and medical expertise available for these children to bring their hopes to reality. So keep spreading the word and partnering with us so that we can see many more Hevi’s and Shkar’s from Iraq live with healed hearts.
This little sweetheart came back successfully from surgery a few months ago. When we met Arya he couldn’t walk due to his heart problem. We wanted to keep you apprized of his progress and show you some evidence of your successful efforts!
12 year old Hevi and 6 year old Shkar have arrived safely in Israel and are undergoing the initial tests and preparations for their heart surgeries. These kids and their parents have been through a lot in just a few days: leaving their families in Iraq, travelling all the way to Israel, adjusting to a very foreign place and then undergoing lots of medical tests. This is has been a long process for many just to get to this point. There is a mixed sense of relief and yet apprehension to finally be at the hospital and be one step closer to the actual heart surgery. And yet Hevi and Shkar both had smiles to show after their blood tests, injections and echocardiograms. These kids are so resilient! What a privilege for us to be part of this journey with them.
Thanks to a series of summer fundraising events in the States, the friends of PLC have raised at least $12,500 for heart surgeries to go to Iraqi children. Money is still coming in, but we’ve applied the first round to the sweet kids below who will now be able to travel next week to heart surgery outside of Iraq thanks to the kind kids and their parents who gave this summer so that others could live!
Shkar, 6 years old
Shkar’s case is very urgent and has recently caused him a great deal of difficulty breathing. His surgery is long-overdue, but doctors believe that he can still have a normal life. We plan for Shkar to be in surgery July 2008.
Hevi, 12 years old
Hevi has a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four anatomical abnormalities. Thankfully, doctors believe she can be fully healed and lead a ‘new life.’ We plan for her to be in surgery July 2008.
Shanaw, 12 years old
Shanaw’s case is very urgent. Though it’s difficult to see under the face-painting you see in the picture, Shanaw’s skin is very blue due to a severe valvular obstruction in her heart. Doctors believe she can be cured through surgery and go on to a healthy, normal life. Shanaw has received all her funding now and we plan for her to be in surgery July 2008.
Kale, 8 years old
Kale’s family keeps calling to remind our partnering organization that their little girl still needs help. Her favorite subject in second grade is English… We’re eager to follow up with her when she returns from her surgery. You can write notes to Kale in simple English here. Kale has received all her funding now and we plan for her to be in surgery July 2008.
Sarah, 8 years old
The cardiologist at the March 2008 screening found that the heart of this frail little girl can be fully restored through surgery. Her internal organs are all on the wrong side (situs inversus) - sometimes surgeons will use a mirror to operate in this case! We hope to have her in surgery in July.
Your purchases and donations continue to spur on and encourage local Iraqi NGOs to stand beside us as we help their children. In conjunction with Kurdistan Save the Children we’ve just sent another $5,000 Iraqi heart surgeries outside the country!
Kale, 12 years old
Kale has cerebral palsy but constantly has a huge smile. It is wonderful to see her mom put so much concern into her daughter in a culture where the mentally challenged are often abandoned. Kale had a large hole, 2.5 centimeters, in her upper ventricle. We helped send Kale to surgery on February 20th but she is only now receiving the money she needed for her surgery. With our partnering organization, we went ahead and pushed her surgery through and Kale returned to Iraq on May 6, 2008 with a healthy heart.
Sarah, 8 years old
The cardiologist at the March 2008 screening found that the heart of this frail little girl can be fully restored through surgery. Her internal organs are all on the wrong side (situs inversus) - sometimes surgeons will use a mirror to operate in this case! We hope to have her in surgery in July.
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