Tedi Update

Tedi is finally located! Larry Pepper, the doctor that we worked with in Kigoma, had been frantically trying to locate her since she left the hospital there.  Her father had taken her home because the Kigoma hospital was not able to provide the care that she needed. We were so afraid that she would die before she could be found.

Once she was located, she and her father were sent by bus to Arusha. There they were welcomed to the "Plaster House". The "Plaster House" is a place where children requiring long term medical care can stay with their family and receive care.

She has now had her surgery and is on antibiotics to try to heal the infection in her bones.

July 9th 2016 Tedi has been released from the hospital.

After a long course of treatment, Tedi's arm was saved and she is finally being released from the hospital.

Adokorach gets to Kenya

Adokorach with Dr. Papy who came with her from DRCongo

SEE Previous blog "Adokorach's Heart"

After many hours by bus, Adokorach, her husband and Dr. Papy finally arrived at Tenwek hospital in Kenya. The hope was that we would be able to fix her valve with the balloon procedure that was described in an earlier blog. Unfortunately we found that she still had bloot clot in her left atrium making the procedure too dangerous to perform. In stead she was scheduled for valve replacement. Tenwek is one of the very few places where this open heart surgery is available. At least to people without a lot of money. She was very frightened to have the surgery. Afer explaining exactly what would happen and praying with her about it, she realized that It was her best hope.

.She did well with the surgery and is now on her way back to DR Congo. We are so thankful for the dedicated doctors and nurses who lovingly cared for her.

Update on Able and Aziza

Before we left Ethiopia we were able to meet with Abel and his family. We learned that the family had traveled 600 kilometers for his medical care. At home he had been so disabled that he had had to quit school. He couldn't walk without coughing up blood and getting very short of breath. On the day we saw him, he and his family had walked to the clinic for the first time! He was so excited to get back to school. He would like to become a doctor.

Abe with his mother, brother and the Cardiac team

Aziza with her mother

We learned that some of the girls that were supposed to come to be evaluated for the balloon procedure did not come because they were told that if they had the procedure they would never be able to have children. This is of course not true. In fact if they try to have children without having their heart valve fixed, they could die during the pregnancy. The story came from the fact that if they had their valve fixed by surgical valve replacement, they would have to be on blood thinner for the rest of their life and were warned never to get pregnant.

Aziza and her mother were over joyed to learn that her procedure was successful and some day she would be able to have a family.

The patients we were able to do the balloon procedure on are all doing well.