Two-year-old Amira and one year old Aliya are sisters who were both diagnosed with congenital heart disease at a tender age.
Amira is the second born and Aliya the third born in the family of four children.
Amira experienced recurring chest infections, palpitating heart beats and poor weight gain while months old. This was a clear sign that all was not well. Her parents took her to several hospitals in Garissa County, where they live and after several doctors’ appointments, she was finally referred to Nairobi for review by a cardiologist. During the review visit, Amira was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and required corrective heart surgery.
Her parents learnt of CFACH through a past beneficiary and on visiting our office, Amira was registered with CFACH and added onto the waiting list. At the time they were reaching out to CFACH, negotiations with Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKIC) were underway and there were plans to send some of the children on waiting list to Tanzania for heart surgeries.
Amira was lucky to get a chance to be among the first CFACH beneficiaries to travel to Tanzania for surgery. She underwent successful heart surgery in December 2020.
At the time of Amira’s surgery, her mother was heavily expectant with her third born and little did she know that her unborn child had a heart disease.
Amira’s mum could not wait until her daughter was discharged from JKCI as she had to travel back to Kenya as her expected delivery date was drawing nearer.
A week after Amira’s admission, their family received their bundle of joy, a bouncing baby girl and named her Aliya.
As Amira and her father travelled back from Tanzania, they were excited and were looking forward to meeting the family’s newest member.
A month after returning home, Amira was due for her first post-op clinic and her parents took her to Kenyatta National Hospital. While there, the observing doctor noticed that the newborn had an irregular breathing pattern. He immediately did an ECHO test, and the results showed the child had Tetralogy of Fallot. This was extremely devastating news to the parents as they did not know how they would get treatment their daughter.
CFACH referred Aliya’s case to Chain of Hope and the case was accepted for surgery sponsorship. Aliya and her mother travelled to Aswan Heart Centre in Egypt in September 2021 where a successful open-heart surgery was conducted.
The two sisters are now doing well, and their recovery has been tremendous. They are both active children who can play with their peers.
Their parents who were very stressed when the children were diagnosed are now at peace and grateful to CFACH for helping their two daughters.