Keep Faith alive by donating to Friends of Pediatrics

The family of a newborn child is in desperate need of assistance. Last Tuesday, Dina Ortiz gave birth to her second child, a baby girl at the Northern Regional Hospital. The joy of birth was short-lived since the child was born without an esophagus. It’s been eight days and the child is in desperate need of surgery, which can’t be had in Belize. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has the heart wrenching story.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Twenty-nine year old Dina Ortiz gently caresses her eight day old baby.  Her pregnancy with her second daughter went uneventful until she tried to feed her newborn. She now knows her infant has a life threatening defect.

Dina Ortiz, Mother of Newborn

“During my pregnancy, I did my ultrasound and nothing showed that my baby was in danger for nothing so I expected a healthy baby. But the day the baby born, the baby started to have mucus secretion and we thought it was just something that, with the days, it would get better. But during night time we got worried because the baby started having a choking episode so the pediatrician went to see the baby and in the morning they did some x-ray on the baby and they found out that the baby was born with a defect, an esophageal defect. They had to bring the baby to Karl Heusner.”

The baby needs a surgery that is available in the United States. The International Hospital for Children has stepped in to assist the Ortiz family.

milagro garel

Milagro Garel, IHC Belize Country Representative

“The condition of this child is that she was born with an incomplete esophagus and yes, we have helped two children in the past with the same condition.”

Jose Sanchez

“Is is something that is life threatening if it goes untreated?”

Milagro Garel

“Yes, totally. The baby is not able to feed and that it why they have to do a reconstructive surgery, which is not is available in the country.”

Jose Sanchez

“The cost doesn’t seem to be too much at this point, the family needs help but if they don’t get can the cost increase?”

Milagro Garel

“Yes, because the baby is very stable right now, the baby doesn’t need to be transported with oxygen. However, if the mommy doesn’t raise the necessary funds for the tickets—and that’s all that she needs right now—then we’ll have to talk about air ambulance because the condition worsens as the time progresses for the child.”

Jose Sanchez

“Have they told you how soon your child needs to have this surgery?

dina ortiz

Dina Ortiz

“When the child is to have the surgery, we’re not sure yet but they want us to fly out as early as Saturday or Sunday.”

Jose Sanchez

Okay, if I understand correctly, your child can’t consume food because of that defect, how is it consuming nutrition now?”

Dina Ortiz

“Well, right now the baby is on drips, not receiving no food and on antibiotics to keep her healthy for now so that she can make it through the surgery and that’s why we want to take her out as soon as possible so that she don’t deteriorate by now and by the time she reach there.”

Jose Sanchez

“If anyone would like to help this family or just help with the organization, what can they do?”

Milagro Garel

“We are asking for anybody to donate towards the tickets, which is in the vicinity of about five thousand dollars because we have to have a doctor accompany the family and we are asking for donations to be done through the organization, Friends of Pediatrics, and we have our account at Atlantic bank.”

Jose Sanchez

“And the hospital that they are going to do the surgery, are there any costs that they are going to be accumulating?”

Milagro Garel

“No, International Hospital for Children is an NGO and we don’t charge for ny of our services, however, we don’t have funds to cover airfare.”

Jose Sanchez

“Do you have a name for your child as yet?”

Dina Ortiz

“I named the baby Faith and I gave her that name because if she survives she will be my Faith.”

Faith will be kept alive if you also believe and lend your support.  Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.