Four-year-old Eli Tamanisau

Four-year-old Eli Tamanisau could not wait to get home following his successful heart surgery at the Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital in Nasese, Suva.

Tamanisau was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect or ASD in 2021, a condition that could result in pulmonary hypertension if left untreated.

Mother, Fipe Tamanisau says the days of worrying about her son’s condition and treatment are finally over with, and he can live his life as a normal and healthy child.

“We were so lucky to be in the list, I am so grateful to God, and to the Sai Prema Foundation for putting my son on the list. Now he is running around and jumping.”

Meanwhile, two-year-old Lavin Drotini was all smiles after the surgeons successfully operated on the congenital heart defect in her heart called Ventricular Septal Defect or VSD.

Her mother, Adi Veitama says it was a scary ordeal to learn that her daughter had a hole in her heart but the family is happy to see Lavin pull through.

“I’m very happy, because now I know that she doesn’t have a hole in her heart or any other disease like that.”

A 20-member team of surgeons, doctors and specialists from Mumbai, India has been conducting life-saving heart surgeries at the Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital.

The team hopes to complete 18 surgeries before returning to India early next month.