Tatiana's Heart Surgery
Tax deductible
First of all, I want to thank you all for supporting Diana's heart surgery (scheduled for March 14th). On the same 'Project Pacer' mission to Bolivia (where our team - doctors, nurses and device technicians - placed pacemakers and defibrillators in patients with no means to afford them otherwise), we met baby Tatiana.
Who is Tatiana?
Tatiana is only 6 months old. Soon after birth, she had difficulty breathing and has since been on supplemental oxygen. Further testing revealed a congenital heart defect called a complete AV canal defect (a hole between the upper two chambers of the heart, hole between the lower two chambers, and one big deformed valve in the middle, in place of the normal two). Tatiana needs heart surgery without which she wouldn't live very long. Like Diana, Tatiana's heart defect has also not been repaired because of financial reasons. Her parents were first told they'd have to collect 20,000 US dollars to get her operated at a private hospital. They desperately negotiated and got the cost of surgery down to 14,000 US dollars but this was still far beyond their reach.
Then Tatiana's parents, Fabian and Meri, heard of an American team of heart specialists visiting Cochabamba, Bolivia. They brought Tatiana to see us at Hospital Viedma in hopes that we might be able to help in some way.
Fabian and Meri, with baby Tatiana, came to see us at Viedma Hospital
Cost of Surgery?
Our team reviewed her medical details, and had a discussion with a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Erika Perez, at Hospital Belga in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She also reviewed the case and got us in touch with the administration of the hospital and a local charity to help with finances. After a couple of weeks of back and forth, we have finally been able to get the expenses down to 9000 US Dollars of which the local charity (a heart foundation for kids) would contribute 2000 US Dollars, leaving 7000 US Dollars up for donations.
Tatiana in her Mother, Meri Mamani Lima's, arms.
What have we done so far?
Since Tatiana's family cannot even afford even a dollar due to their socioeconomic status, and the cost of daily oxygen is already a burden, we decided to help in two ways.
1) Our team members pooled money to at least take care of her oxygen needs for a few months.
2) We decided toi raise funds for Tatiana and give her - and her family - a new life. God willing!
How Can You Help
1) By donating towards Tatiana's heart surgery.
2) If you are unable to donate, at least remember Tatiana in your thoughts and prayers.
3) Share this link and be a part of Tatiana's team with hashtag #TatianaHeart on social media.
Thank you all for making a difference to Tatiana's life. May Tatiana keep smiling her whole life, and may we be able to help faciliate it, amen. God bless you all! #TatianaHeart
Who is Tatiana?
Tatiana is only 6 months old. Soon after birth, she had difficulty breathing and has since been on supplemental oxygen. Further testing revealed a congenital heart defect called a complete AV canal defect (a hole between the upper two chambers of the heart, hole between the lower two chambers, and one big deformed valve in the middle, in place of the normal two). Tatiana needs heart surgery without which she wouldn't live very long. Like Diana, Tatiana's heart defect has also not been repaired because of financial reasons. Her parents were first told they'd have to collect 20,000 US dollars to get her operated at a private hospital. They desperately negotiated and got the cost of surgery down to 14,000 US dollars but this was still far beyond their reach.
Then Tatiana's parents, Fabian and Meri, heard of an American team of heart specialists visiting Cochabamba, Bolivia. They brought Tatiana to see us at Hospital Viedma in hopes that we might be able to help in some way.
Fabian and Meri, with baby Tatiana, came to see us at Viedma HospitalCost of Surgery?
Our team reviewed her medical details, and had a discussion with a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Erika Perez, at Hospital Belga in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She also reviewed the case and got us in touch with the administration of the hospital and a local charity to help with finances. After a couple of weeks of back and forth, we have finally been able to get the expenses down to 9000 US Dollars of which the local charity (a heart foundation for kids) would contribute 2000 US Dollars, leaving 7000 US Dollars up for donations.
Tatiana in her Mother, Meri Mamani Lima's, arms. What have we done so far?
Since Tatiana's family cannot even afford even a dollar due to their socioeconomic status, and the cost of daily oxygen is already a burden, we decided to help in two ways.
1) Our team members pooled money to at least take care of her oxygen needs for a few months.
2) We decided toi raise funds for Tatiana and give her - and her family - a new life. God willing!
How Can You Help
1) By donating towards Tatiana's heart surgery.
2) If you are unable to donate, at least remember Tatiana in your thoughts and prayers.
3) Share this link and be a part of Tatiana's team with hashtag #TatianaHeart on social media.
Thank you all for making a difference to Tatiana's life. May Tatiana keep smiling her whole life, and may we be able to help faciliate it, amen. God bless you all! #TatianaHeart
Organizer
Kashif N Chaudhry
Organizer
Burlington, MA
Project Pacer International Ltd
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
