Girl with heart defect urgently needs help for surgery

A five-year-old girl from Brgy. Tajao, Pinamungajan, Cebu is urgently needing financial help for her upcoming open heart surgery.

Felicity Nillama, 5 years old. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Felicity Nillama was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease particularly Tetralogy of Fallot on March 15, 2023. As a growing child, her mother noticed that she is short and thin for her age. Her mother also observed that when she moves a lot, she will then experience shortness of breath. But she did not mind it. Then, a few days before her diagnosis, Felicity had an ear problem that prompted her mother to bring her for checkup. Upon consultation, the doctor managed her ear problem and also found out that she has abnormal heart sounds. So, they were advised to undergo 2D Echocardiogram. When the result came out, they immediately consulted a pediatric cardiologist who confirmed Felicity’s diagnosis. Congenital Heart Disease is a heart abnormality present at birth. The problem can affect the heart walls, valves, and its blood vessels. There are numerous types of congenital heart defects. One of them is Tetralogy of Fallot, a rare condition which is caused by a combination of four heart defects: a hole between the ventricles of the heart, an obstruction from the heart to the lungs, the aorta lies over the hole in the ventricles, the muscular wall of the right ventricle becomes thicker than normal. Because of these defects, the blood that flows out of the heart and to the rest of the body does not carry enough oxygen. Corrective surgery is needed to treat this disease.

The surgery is projected to cost around P1,000,000. In addition to that, her maintenance medications cost up to P1,000 every week.

Following her diagnosis, her attending pediatric cardiologist prescribed oral maintenance medications and advised her parents that she needs to undergo open heart surgery at the soonest possible time. Open heart surgery is a major operation to repair a defect in the heart. The operation requires the surgeon to open the chest to access the heart in order to fix the defective muscles, valves, or blood vessels. Due to the delicate nature of the surgery, her physician recommended to her parents the Philippine Heart Center as the hospital suitable for her open heart surgery. The surgery is projected to cost around P1,000,000. In addition to that, her maintenance medications cost up to P1,000 every week.

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Regardless of her heart condition, Felicity exhibits kindness and sweetness. Her mother also described her as a thoughtful girl. Felicity likes to dance and play with her cooking set too. As the second of the two siblings, she is profoundly loved and valued. When asked about her wish for Felicity, her mother expressed, “Every day, I pray for her healing. I wish that her body will be formidable enough to withstand the rigors of the surgery.” Her mother is a housewife who takes good care of the family. Her stepfather, who usually works as a maintenance staff abroad, does not have any current work. These circumstances had ushered financial uncertainties to their family. In addition to their daily challenges, Felicity’s upcoming surgery worries them the most because of its costly nature. Thus, her family is earnestly appealing to generous individuals for financial assistance that will surely play a key role in saving Felicity’s life. 

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Those who wish to donate may contact Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. – Cebu through these cellphone numbers 0945-712-6657 or 0932-443-7135. You can also deposit donations directly to Unionbank under account name Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation and account number 00-112-000066-2. Please indicate the name of the patient in the deposit slip. Thank you very much.

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