Screening team return from FIji

A team of seven volunteers have just returned from a week long patient screening visit to Fiji. The team traveled first to Lautoka where the first of three clinics were held. The team then visited Labasa and finally Suva to ensure a wide reach of people were screened through Fiji. Across the three clinics both the paediatric and adult specialists screened over 100 patients in five days. The team have now return with the results from the screening and will meet with the appropriate surgical team to decide which patients will receive surgery.

One of the highlights is seeing past patients and hearing how they are doing since their surgeries. Here are a few patient stories:

Losavati was 9 years when she had a mitral valve repair in 2010 with Open Heart International (OHI).She was happy to see Michael (OHI’s General Manager) before visiting the cardiologist who had originally screened her.

Artika found out she had rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in 2003. Unable to walk short distances or do normal activities, two heart valves were replaced by the OHI team in 2009.Today Artika is full of life, working full time, married and encouraging everyone she meets to always have HOPE (Hold On Pain Ends).

Sisari had a double valve replacement in 2015 with OHI. He is loving his new job and is back working full time.The 2015 OHI patients dreamed of starting a ‘zipper club’ and met a couple of times.We have been pinning past patients so they can recognise each other.

Timaima was only 4 years old when OHI operated on her back in 1996. Born two months early her parents told me how worried they were for their baby (youngest of 4).OHI repaired her ASD (a hole in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart). Her parents are so grateful they have seen Timaima grown into a beautiful young woman.