“Where does the blood flow come from? And where does it go?” Dr. Rodriguez paused a moment before repeating “Where does the blood come from, and where does it go?”
Dr. Rodriguez was talking as much to himself as he was to the local cardiologists beside him. He carefully studied the illuminated echocardiogram screen, then turned back to the cardiologists. Dr. Miriam passed the ultrasound wand over each child’s chest—again and again honing in on particular spots of each small body. They spent as long as necessary with each child to figure out their own unique physiological puzzle.
But isn’t every heart the same?
When an adult develops a heart condition, doctors look for disease or damage to a “normal” heart. The doctor knows exactly where to look, and has a good idea what will be found before ever seeing an image of the heart. “Normal” hearts are all made pretty much the same way.
In children born with congenital heart defects, every heart is different. Some children have 3 heart chambers instead of 4. Some are missing ventricles, or have them crossed. There are countless problems and variations, so it’s a challenge to determine exactly what path the blood takes.
Dr. Rodriguez coached the cardiologists to look further than the defect itself—to figure out the larger picture. Often the first answer—the obvious answer—doesn’t provide the best solution for the child’s overall health.
Zaid and his heart provide a perfect metaphor for Libya and the troubles it’s facing.
Libyan children need heart surgeries—so providing heart surgeries is the best solution. Unless, of course, it isn’t.
When we provided Zaid with heart surgery, we helped him and his family. When our doctors and nurses spent crucial time teaching local doctors and nurses—honing diagnostic skills, developing new surgical techniques, reinforcing best nursing practices—we didn’t just help Zaid. We helped the whole country.
Libya doesn’t have the skilled professionals it needs to take care of it’s own children. Every time we return, pairing surgery with education, we bring them closer to never needing us again. We work toward rising the tide in the Libyan health care system—encouraging a culture of highly skilled excellence.
The situation in each country we work in is a little different. And just as we make sure that each child’s heart gets the right correction, we make sure that the solutions we bring to each country help the broader needs. When you donate, that’s what you help to make happen.