A Heart for Fatou

Fatou is a 37 year old mother of three who currently lives in Senegal, West Africa. She suffers from Mitral valve stenosis due to Rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease is nowadays rare in developped countries, but it is still highly prevalent in the developping world. It is caused by untreated strep throat. She was diagnosed in 2006 and has been on medications since then.  Two months ago, Fatou's condition worsened and she is now in full blown heart failure. Her mitral valve is critically stenosed  and her heart can no longer compensate. She has chest pain and difficulty breathing around the clock and her body is filling up with fluid slowly.The only way she can survive is to receive a mitral valve replacement.

Unfortunately, the type of intensive care required for her to undergo the surgery is not in place in her country.  Her case has been accepted at Hopital Bichat-Claude Bernard, in Paris where she would receive both a  prosthetic mitral valve and a pacemaker. The total cost of her medical evacuation  was approximately $62,000, an amount almost impossible to raise.

Very recently, we have  been fortunate to find  a new hospital in Milan, Italy, that offered to do her surgery at a much lower cost: 17,000Euros, which is approximately 20,000$.

Fatou and her husband are both unemployed. Every day that goes by, Fatou wonders if her children will grow up without their mother. Please let us help Fatou so she can have the chance to see her children grow old.

Thank you!