On the mend

We have met some very resilient children so far this week. Only a few hours after heart surgery they are siting up smiling, blowing bubbles and applying the lip gloss from their goodie bags!

It’s truly amazing to see how tough these kids are and to see them smile makes it all worthwhile. Many of the children receiving surgery this week have been identified from all over the country by the local medical team. They have travelled far and wide and waited patiently for weeks to have their surgery this week. These families are away from their homes for weeks on end, which is something they all have in common. The families are amazing support for each other.

I was on night shift last night and it wasn’t until about 2am that things settled down and we were able to spend some time talking with the nurses and the patient family members. They told us about their families and life her in Yangon.

The people are very proud of their country and how far the country has developed in recent years. The nurses said they would not live anywhere else and love their jobs at Yangon Children’s Hospital.

Today we had a few power blackouts, only lasting about 30seconds, lucky they don’t disrupt the cardiac cases too much. Dr David Winlaw and team did a fantastic job to keep going despite the additional challenges! Both of the surgeries today were successful and transferred to intensive care without any issue.

The first two patients that received surgery earlier this week have now transitioned from ICU to the cardiac ward today. They are very happy to have their fluid restriction lifted – they can drink and eat normally!

When I get the chance, I quickly pop upstairs to the cardiac ward throughout the day and check on these patients. They are being well looked after by the local nursing team. It’s nice up be able to watch their progress from pre-admission surgery, post-operative care and eventually to home sweet home.