Global effort saves baby Kenyan refugee

Lucy receiving a cuddle from her parents after the heart operation

4 April 2008: A baby Kenyan refugee suffering from a rare heart condition has received life-saving surgery after a global effort across 3 continents by Plan.

10 month-old Lucy’s odds of survival had plummeted after her family’s home was torched by rioters in the wake of last year’s disputed Kenyan election.

Like many of the 12,000 people who fled across the border, Lucy’s family arrived in Uganda with only the few possessions they could carry.

Heart blockage

Plan discovered Lucy in a Ugandan refugee camp and took her to a health centre where she was found to be suffering from a blockage of the heart.

Her condition was so serious that doctors in Kenya and Uganda couldn’t help – they recommended an urgent transfer to a specialist cardiac unit in Chennai, India.

Plan flew Lucy to India but on arrival doctors discovered the infant now had a collapsed heart.  Despair set in, as they explained that India only stored adult heart valves. Once more, Plan stepped in, arranging for a baby heart valve to be flown in from Brazil.

Successful operation

Baby Lucy playing with sunglasses on her hospital bed

On 26 March, bleary eyed but stable, baby Lucy awoke from her 6 hour operation to be greeted by her anxious and overwhelmed parents.
 
Her mother said: “It is beyond my wildest expectation that my daughter could live and that we can return someday to Kenya as a family.”

Lucy’s father said: “It is a miracle that my child has the opportunity to live!”

Lucy is now expected to return to Africa on World Health Day on 7 April. 

Last month’s peace deal brokered by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan offers hope of a brighter future to children like Lucy. However, it may be some time before Lucy and her family can return to their village, as many refugees fear continued violence.

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Plan is providing thousands of displaced Kenyan children and their families with emergency food and medical supplies.

Please help us assist those affected by making a donation via our fundraising countries:

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