Children

 

JUNE 2009

 

Mariam Akopashvili, Tbilisi, Georgia:  Another child that we were not able to place locally was approved by the International Children's Heart Foundation.  We had asked Dr. William Novick if he would consider treating Mariam when his team visits Kharkiv, Ukraine in June of 2009.  Dr. Novick replied that her condition was complex but he would be willing to operate if he received hospital approval.  Being that most host hospitals do not expect to have visiting medical teams bring outside patients, D7500 GOL offered to remit our usual payment to the hospital in Kharkiv.  On March 28th, we received notice that ICHF may operate on Mariam.

 

 

Dr. Novick has called and informed us that Mariam's surgery yesterday, June 11th, was successful....."She has been transferred to the floor, looks great I will send some photo's a little later today. I don't know if you realize, but she got a Rolls-Royce operation. She had a very bad situation, the mitral valve was mechanical, and way to small for her and had ingrowth of scar tissue above and below the valve, the scar tissue below the valve almost completely blocked the outflow out the aortic valve, so the muscle below the valve had grown trying to push and overcome the scar tissue obstrution, so we cut this all out completely by creating a VSD that was the size of half a postcard, then closed that with a big piece of Goretex and replaced the mitral valve with one that should last her into and possibly through adulthood. She has relatives here in Kharkiv, and they treated us to a dinner at their restuarant, nice Georgian food. She should be ready to leave the hospital mid-late week and go home when they are ready."

 

 

AUGUST 2009

 

Annual Meeting:    August 17th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at the Quality Inn in Toms River.  (See the Meeting Information page for details)

 

 

 

If you are interested in becoming a host family for one of our children, please contact us.