Baby Sokwani's Heart Surgery
Donation protected
7 month old Baby Sokwani was born with a very serious heart condition called Tricuspid Artesia. This means that he was born with a missing heart valve and can therefore not get enough oxygenated blood circulating throughout his body. This is a life threatening condition for any baby, but baby Sokwani's chances of survival are lessened further, as he lives in Zambia - where he doesn't have access to the medical treatment that he requires. He only has a chance at surviving his condition if he recieves his first stabilising surgery in the next 1-2 months absolute maximum.
Sokwani is my husband's baby cousin (I'm American and my husband is Zambian) and we are doing our best to raise the money required for surgery on Sokwani's behalf.
If Sokwani lived in a country that provided equal or affordable access to healthcare, he would already have begun getting the care that he needs, but sadly this is not the case for him. In Zambia there is not only a lack of qualified doctors, but healthcare costs almost always have to be paid out of pocket (medical insurance is an immature industry in Zambia) and are not close to being affordable. Under these circumstances, many people in Zambia don't survive common medical ailments.
Because there are no cardiac surgeons in Zambia who have the expertise required to treat Sokwani, my husband and I are trying to raise the $15,000 that is needed to for baby Sokwani to receive his first stabilizing surgery at Narayana Health facility in Bangalore, India. Their cardiac unit is one of the world's largest and they complete over 50 heart surgeries daily. The total we are looking to raise includes flight cost from Zambia for Sokwani and a caregiver, accommodation during recovery, and of course the surgery cost. If all goes well with his first surgery, a second surgery won't be required until Baby Sokwani is between 2 and 3 years old.
For those who don't live in parts of Africa where good doctors are in short supply and the cost of any medical treatment is exorbitant, the concept of flying to India to receive life-saving surgery may sound strange. What is true is that some of the best cardiac surgeons in the world live in India, and for most people in Africa, flying to India to recieve medical treatment is typically about one-third of the cost of receiving treatment in neighboring South Africa, where there are also great surgeons.
I won't go too deeply into the added mental and financial strain that has been put on the family since baby Sokwani's mother recently collapsed from a stroke and remains in ICU - likely something caused by the emotional strain of not being able to save her baby. Most of the family's finances are currently going to keeping her on life support. Knowing that baby Sokwani is getting the surgery that he needs is probably the best thing we can do to encourage his mother's recovery.
My husband and I have a similarly aged son of our own and couldn't begin to imagine having to go through what this baby's mother, father and siblings are experiencing. Anything you might be able to donate will go towards saving baby Sokwani's life. We would be eternally greatful to anyone who can help our extended family.
Sokwani is my husband's baby cousin (I'm American and my husband is Zambian) and we are doing our best to raise the money required for surgery on Sokwani's behalf.
If Sokwani lived in a country that provided equal or affordable access to healthcare, he would already have begun getting the care that he needs, but sadly this is not the case for him. In Zambia there is not only a lack of qualified doctors, but healthcare costs almost always have to be paid out of pocket (medical insurance is an immature industry in Zambia) and are not close to being affordable. Under these circumstances, many people in Zambia don't survive common medical ailments.
Because there are no cardiac surgeons in Zambia who have the expertise required to treat Sokwani, my husband and I are trying to raise the $15,000 that is needed to for baby Sokwani to receive his first stabilizing surgery at Narayana Health facility in Bangalore, India. Their cardiac unit is one of the world's largest and they complete over 50 heart surgeries daily. The total we are looking to raise includes flight cost from Zambia for Sokwani and a caregiver, accommodation during recovery, and of course the surgery cost. If all goes well with his first surgery, a second surgery won't be required until Baby Sokwani is between 2 and 3 years old.
For those who don't live in parts of Africa where good doctors are in short supply and the cost of any medical treatment is exorbitant, the concept of flying to India to receive life-saving surgery may sound strange. What is true is that some of the best cardiac surgeons in the world live in India, and for most people in Africa, flying to India to recieve medical treatment is typically about one-third of the cost of receiving treatment in neighboring South Africa, where there are also great surgeons.
I won't go too deeply into the added mental and financial strain that has been put on the family since baby Sokwani's mother recently collapsed from a stroke and remains in ICU - likely something caused by the emotional strain of not being able to save her baby. Most of the family's finances are currently going to keeping her on life support. Knowing that baby Sokwani is getting the surgery that he needs is probably the best thing we can do to encourage his mother's recovery.
My husband and I have a similarly aged son of our own and couldn't begin to imagine having to go through what this baby's mother, father and siblings are experiencing. Anything you might be able to donate will go towards saving baby Sokwani's life. We would be eternally greatful to anyone who can help our extended family.
Organizer
Jacqueline Foster-Mutungu
Organizer
Pineville, NC