Wilfred & Lightness

Wilfred Limo, 11, and Lightness Christian, 10, have been sick their whole lives, but both patients are about to undergo an operation in Dar es Saleem to fix their conditions.

Open Heart International are in Tanzania at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute to operate on 10-12 local children’s hearts; the pace has deliberately been slowed to allow maximal teaching at this recently established paediatric cardiac surgical unit.

Wilfred, who has experienced shortness of breath and tiredness, and Lightness, who has had coughing, pain in the abdomen and tightness in the chest, are one of the first few to be operated on.

Both are looking forward to living a normal life.

Wilfred is a football and bike lover, from Tabada about 45 kms from town, whereas Lightness has travelled two days by bus from a town called Bukoba.

Lightness enjoys playing basketball and with her toy dolls.

In addition to the surgeries, the Open Heart team will be dedicating this trip to advancing the training of three local doctors- anaesthetist Onesmo Mhewa, paediatric surgeon Godwin Sharau, and cardiologist Naizihiiwa Mnong’one- and their large team of nurses and other support staff.

The doctors are hosting the team for their third East African mission in Tanzania, but for the first time at the Muhimbili National Hospital.