Health

New lease of life for baby girl after heart surgery

September 27, 2022 3:50 pm

A baby girl who has suffered from congenital heart disease has been given a new lease of life after successful heart surgery.

Jessica Brown who has suffered from a ventricular septal defect, sometimes referred to as a hole in the heart since she was born has even more reason to celebrate her recovery as she turns 1 this weekend.

An emotional mother Aida Hoyte says she travelled from Levuka with her child for the operation at the Sai Prema Foundation hospital in Nasese.

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The mother says she would cry daily as it breaks her heart to see her daughter often ill and weak.

“I cried every day so that she will have a whole heart. My prayers were answered because we can’t afford to go to overseas.”

She says the free heart surgery is a blessing as she and her husband are not working and solely rely on farming for their source of livelihood for their seven children and is grateful to Sai Prema Foundation and the team of cardiac surgeons.

The 34-year-old mother says seeing her youngest daughter’s health improve after the surgery is the best birthday gift as she will be turning 1 this Saturday.

Paediatrician Dr Ryan Taylor says Jessica made a quick recovery.

“Jessica had her surgery last week and she’s doing really well in recovering. She has congenital heart disease. We’ve been busy fixing a fraction of her heart and she did really well. A fast recovery and she’s leaving a day before her birthday. She’s made a good recovery as all the kids have so far. We are hoping to do about 20 children during this trip.”

Jessica was discharged from hospital today and was issued a certificate and gifts by the hospital staff where the US Ambassador Tony Grubel officiated at the small ceremony at the hospital earlier today.