A Cure for Young Aroldo’s Heart Condition

The Rotary Gift of Life program has benefited many children from across the country who are afflicted with congenital heart diseases.  Over the years, doctors have visited Belize to perform lifesaving procedures and children have been flown to the United States and other parts of the region for medical treatment.  Earlier today, News Five stopped by the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where the doctors were busy performing surgeries on two young patients.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Over the years that it’s been in existence, the Gift of Life program has been instrumental in getting children with various heart conditions the medical attention that they so desperately need.  This is being done with the assistance of pediatricians and cardiologists from outside of the country.  Five-year-old Aroldo Clarke Jr. is undergoing a procedure for an unusual condition present at birth.

Patricia Clarke

Patricia Clarke, Mother of Heart Patient

“When he was born, he was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot and from there we started seeking medical attention.”

Aroldo

It’s a congenital defect that affects the normal blood flow through the heart.  This happens when a baby’s heart does not form correctly as the baby grows and develops in the mother’s womb during pregnancy.  Aroldo’s parents looked everywhere and tried everything, in an effort to have the disorder corrected.

Patricia Clarke

“We took him all over until we got into the Gift of Life program and they were the ones to send us to Cayman for the open-heart surgery.  That was in 2018, he was barely five [or] six months old when he got his surgery.”

Aroldo

Regrettably, things didn’t go well for Aroldo following the operation.  Dr. Elsa Suh is a visiting pediatric cardiologist from Florida.  She’s among a team of doctors that are in Belize to assist children through the Gift of Life program.

Elsa Suh

Dr. Elsa Suh, Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist

“He, unfortunately, was born with a cyanotic heart defect and his original surgery was done in Cayman Islands and unfortunately he had a complicated post-operative care.  So they had to redo the operation, but part of redoing the operation they had to redo an extra conduit which means they had to harvest graft from the jugular vein of a cow.”

Inside the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at the KHMH, medical personnel are monitoring a procedure that is being undertaken by doctors on the other side of the glass.  The cardiologists are working diligently to correct Aroldo’s condition.

Yvette Burkes

Yvette Burkes, Gift of Life

“As you know, Gift of Life is the original flagship project of the Rotary Club of Belize and our objective is to bring cardiac care to children across our nation, regardless of which corner of this country or which caye they live on and we’re so blessed to have professionals who are a part of the village that makes this happen.  So, as time goes on, we’re so happy that Karl Heusner [Memorial Hospital] has a Cat Lab and it would be definitely remiss for me not to mention we’ve even used the Cat Lab at Dr. John Gough’s hospital in the past when the Cat Lab here was down.  We’re very thankful for these partnerships and these professionals who are here this week came in to offer surgeries that are worth, really combined, hundreds of dollars.”

Indeed, done anywhere else, these procedures are quite costly.  For the Clarke family, it has been a difficult experience, but their abiding faith prevails.

Patricia Clarke

“It has been very challenging.  [We’re] always praying that any procedure that he has to undergo, it comes out good, but it’s been very, very difficult, but I have always been very, very positive too.”

Isani Cayetano

“Talk to us a bit about the Gift of Life and how you guys have found their assistance in terms of being able to provide this form or surgery for your child.”

Patricia Clarke

“From day one that we started with them up to today, they have been helping us every time.  Well they were the ones that were in charge of sending Aroldo to Cayman.  They follow up with us and they are the ones responsible to bring the doctors, they inform us when and then we are here.  We are here every time they let us know.”

Beyond the advanced medical procedures, Dr. Heidi Hess, who has been visiting Belize religiously since the early 2000s, finds satisfaction, as well as a deeper appreciation for the many patients she has treated over the years.

Heidi Hess

Dr. Heidi Hess, Pediatric

“For me, the biggest reward over the years coming here and treating children when I meet them as a newborn and now twenty years later I see them back for checkups and they’re coming with their own newborns.  So to be able to see these kids grow up and become adults, they’ve gone through school and year after year they bring me their report cards and tell me about their success and their brothers and sisters, this is the reward, seeing these children grow up and bloom and do so well.”

Isani Cayetano for News Five.