Happy Birthday!

Two Open Heart International members received a very special gift for their joint birthday from the Rwandan patients and family members based at King Faisal Hospital.

Long-term coordinator Darren Wolfers and first-timer Andrew Nicholson were sung happy birthday to by staff, patients and families in both the English and Kinyarwanda languages.

Darren said receiving a home-made birthday card from the patients as well as being sung to was very moving.

“There isn’t a better way to spend my birthday,” Darren, who turned 46, said.

“I have never had my birthday sung to me in Kinyarwanda.”

Darren’s birthday card, with a drawing of a tree, read: “I don’t have any other gift to give to you, but this tree is the gift I have.”

Andrew, who celebrated his sixteenth birthday, said the song was very touching.

“What a birthday to remember,” Andrew said.

“I am very thankful for the people on the ward and have been enjoying getting to know them and playing with the patients.”

Andrew, who is in Year 10, is travelling with his father Ian; a heart surgeon first involved with Open Heart International as a surgical registrar in 1994.