One year later: heart patient doing well

Earlier in this newscast we looked at a pair of unsung heroes. But heroism is a relative concept, and when it comes to offering a helping hand to those in need there is no shortage of heroic Belizean, large and small. Just ask Neville Bermudez.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
To a stranger, Neville Bermudez is just another eleven year old: full of life, a love of pizza and armed with fingers fast enough to conquer any video game.

But one year ago, Neville was on the brink of death after a mitral valve in his heart collapsed. In just five days, his family and the Rotary Club?s Gift of Life program pooled their efforts to send the boy to Tampa Children?s Hospital for emergency open heart surgery.

Dr. Curtis Samuels, Cardiologist
?He was in intensive care and in frank heart failure and all sorts of IV fluids. I think he would have, he won?t have made it if he hadn?t gone that quickly. I think he?s one of the lucky ones ? one of the blessed ones.?

Neville Bermudez, Heart Patient
?I?m doing good, just trying to keep up with myself and I just want to say thanks to everybody who helped me.?

According to his parents, today Neville is almost as good as new.

Elizabeth Dominguez, Mother
?For this year, well I could smile, and seh Thank God every day, every minute I see him I have to give God thanks because without He he no meh ah deh ya. So far, Thank God, he okay. Pretty much okay.?

Nelville Bermudez Sr., Father
?I ker ah out with me, I can?t ker ah too far because he too active for me so … sometimes I feel like da me deh have heart problems instead of he.?

Elizabeth Dominguez
?They only thing he have right now is dat he get tired, but he no bother about the tiredness, if he left to he, he wah wah play right through. He very active just like before and he no have to deh dah hospital like before. So I have to seh Thank God.?

And Neville already has his wish list for the future.

Neville Bermudez
?Just to pass, get an education and finish up my next surgery, so I can live a normal life.?

Janelle Chanona
?You think about that often … what you went through last year??

Neville Bermudez
?Yeah, everyday.?

Janelle Chanona
?What you think about when you remember??

Neville Bermudez
?About pain especially.?

Today Neville, a standard five student at Belmopan?s Middle Division, doesn?t have much pain but he must make a pilgrimage to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital every two months for check ups.

After months of normalcy, Neville?s local cardiologist Dr. Curtis Samuels has discovered another problem in the child?s heart.

Dr. Curtis Samuels
?There is a leakage of also the aortic valve which is moderate and could become severe. This wasn?t there before, so he will have to have further assessment to see if they will have to do some sort of repair to that aortic valve.?

Doctors believe Neville?s medical problems may be caused by something called Barlow?s disease.

Dr. Curtis Samuels
?The valve leaflets become redundant so instead of actually closing properly there is an extra amount so it?s just flapping. And that redundancy would probably be one of the causes of this aortic valve legion or anomaly. So the prognosis, depending on what is found out, is still reserved. But we will keep our hopes up high that everything will be resolved as quickly as possible.?

The family that prayed together in their darkest days say they will continue to hope and pray that they will be together for years to come. And despite an uncertain future, their thoughts tonight are with other families who are desperate for medical treatment.

Neville Bermudez
?Just pray to God so he can help you through your surgery or whatever you have to do.?

Neville Bermudez Sr.
?I tell them thanks and pray for everybody who help me and I ask them for help other people to who need help.?

Elizabeth Dominguez
?Mek you no give up. Just continue to pray. If they have to ask the public for help, mek deh no be ashamed because I hear lot of parents seh they no wah go beg fu deh child. If they love deh child, eh no matter what they have to do fu get the help weh deh need. Go out deh and beg fu help, put aside pride, your child?s life comes first. I would tell them go for it because it no hurt fu ask. You would never know and if they fraid because they wah turn you down. Maybe one turn you down but somebody always deh deh fu help you out.?

Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.

Today is the one year anniversary of Neville?s open heart surgery at Tampa Children’s Hospital.