Life Changing Heart Surgery for Rebeca Flores

Co-organised

Mercedes Cabaleiro and Kathleen Worthington are organising this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Mercedes Cabaleiro is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of her cousin Leonardo Flores, the father of Rebeca. The money will go to Leonardo to manage the funds.

Rebeca Flores is a 13-year-old teenager from Costa Rica. For the third time in her young life, she desperately needs heart surgery due to a congenital malformation to avoid further complications to her health, which could be irreversible. She was born with Pulmonary Atresia (PA), a life-threatening condition. PA is a rare heart malformation affecting one out of every 10,000 live births; the absence of the pulmonary valve characterizes it. “Without a working pulmonary valve, blood cannot flow through your pulmonary artery to reach the lungs, where it gets oxygen. Instead, oxygen-poor blood goes throughout your body.” (Cleveland Clinic)

Rebeca underwent surgery as a baby and was implanted with the Blalock-Taussig shunt; she also had a second surgery at three years old at the Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami. However, she still needs another surgery to close an interventricular communication and place a pulmonary prosthesis, for she was born without the pulmonary valve. PA prevents her from being an active and energetic teenager. She lives exhausted and cannot perform everyday activities that we take for granted; studying, playing sports or exercising, even walking a moderate distance, or dancing is not feasible for her yet.

Rebeca is a kind soul despite her serious medical condition. She is strong and brave, facing challenges that seem unsurmountable at times, and her spirit remains unbroken. She has a long road ahead of her, but doctors are hopeful that she could have a full life with surgery. Her long-term medical care is extensive, and it will be expensive. I hope we can help her family with the costs of her surgery, post-op care and rehabilitation, and any financial needs that may arise in the coming months. If you can support Rebeca in her journey to better health, I can assure you she would be most grateful from the bottom of her heart. It does not matter how small or large your contribution is; any amount would help Rebeca to be closer to being healthy. Thank you for taking the time to read this and considering supporting Rebeca. It means the world to her.