A collective big heart

The moment Fiona asked me, a sponsor, if I wanted to watchan operationbeing performed my heart started thumping anxiously. Thiswould be the moment I would see a miracle being performed but I also knew that anything could go wrong as this was real life, not a TV drama.

Walking into the operating theatre felt surreal as the little girl, that only 12 hours prior I was decorating her bed with arts and crafts, was being operated on. Her little body looked so vulnerable with all the surgical staff busy preparing her for her life changing operation. Life changing it was, but not only for her, as it changed me forever too.

One of the theatre nurses, Maree patiently and passionately talked me through every step of the operation. Throughout the whole procedure I had to remind myself to breathe. When the power stopped (for a brief moment) it felt like my heart stopped with it. The Australian and Cambodian medical teams worked calmly and patiently together to ensure that this little girl was going to have a long life

After almost three hours another heart was repaired and a little girl’s life saved. The state of my heart was another story, I had just witnessed the most extraordinary procedure, performed by the most humble people as well as under very difficult conditions. I said at the beginning of the week that these people were my super heroes, they are really angels in disguise.

This week I have seen a path being built that has embeddedso much pride in the maintenance staffthat they want to grow grass around itinstead of just filling it with pebbles. I have seen sick children arrive and then walk out only two days later with a new heart. I have seen beautiful volunteer nurses and doctor’s care so much for children as if they were their own. The most important thing I have seen is Open Heart International has one huge collective heart for saving numerous little hearts.

Thank you for Open heart International for changing my heart forever.