No One Fights Alone - Rayna Njeri Medical Support

Support baby Mary Rayna Njeri as she faces the toughest fight of her young life. On January 18th 2019, Rayna was diagnosed with a serious condition called Truncus arteriosus. This is a rare type of heart disease which occurs when the blood vessel coming out of the heart in the developing baby fails to separate completely during development, leaving a connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery. Rayna's condition is so severe that there is a hole, between the bottom two chambers (ventricles) of her heart. Her condition results in oxygen-poor blood and oxygen-rich blood mixed together as blood flows to the lungs and the rest of the body.  As a result of this condition, too much blood goes to the lungs and the heart works harder to pump blood to the rest of the body.  This has resulted in Rayna experiencing bodily fatigue as well as a difficulty in gaining weight. Additionally, she is suffering from water retention, which results in excessive sweating and swollen extremities (limbs, chest, stomach etc). 

This diagnosis has been devastating to our family. However we have remained strong with the understanding and belief that with the community's support, Rayna's condition will improve. As part of the treatment, the doctor can choose to give her a drug called Aldactone that reduces the water retention. But the doctor is wary of doing this at the moment because Rayna's feeding is  still below required level  since she has difficulty consuming milk and other baby feed.  In regards to this, her parents (Alex and Caroline Wanjohi) have worked diligently to ensure that despite her difficulties, she is receiving as many nutrients as she can consume and are charting her feeds very carefully to support this. However, at her current condition, the doctor's fear of giving her the drug is because it will dehydrate her with the little feeding and that might be more risky to her health. For now, the family is concentrating on ensuring Rayna attains 3 kg (6.6 lbs) in weight as soon as possible. 

Why is the 3 Kg important?? This is because of the ultimate need for surgical intervention, in order to fix her heart defect. For babies diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus, the ideal treatment should be done by 3 months. Due to the delay in diagnosis, baby Rayna is slightly behind this curve since she has already become 3 months. So we don't have much time to waste so she can get the hole closed through a process called Conduit or homograft.  This process will be done in India where there is a very high rate of success with the patients that her doctor has referred there. The hospital is called MIOT Hospital located in Southern India, in a city called Chennai. 

A surgery like this will be complicated, extensive and expensive. Baby Rayna needs all of us in her corner supporting her, as well as her parents and family through this tough time. Here’s how everyone can help -- we would like to take some of the burden of financial expenses off the Wanjohi family by raising enough money to help them through the surgical process and recovery time. Any amount that you can contribute will help, and will allow Rayna to focus on her treatments and for her to spend more time with her parents and family.  The estimates for the treatments and associated expenses are as follows:

1. Follow up diagnostics tests to ascertain what level of procedure is required: USD 1,000
2. Open Heart Surgery package: USD 6,500
3. Attendant to accompany baby Rayna and the mother (this includes hospital accommodations): USD 1,000
4. Tissue valve: USD 2,500
5. Air ticket (return) for both parents and baby Rayna: USD 3,800
6. Post-op doctors visits and medication/formula costs:  USD  1,400

Total estimated costs:  USD 16,200

Please support Rayna in the fight for her life, and support the future of this beautiful, precious angel. 

Lots of love,

Family of Mary Rayna Njeri