We are delighted that patients Olga and Francisco from Timor-Leste have received life-saving heart surgery in May 2024 thanks to our donors, volunteers and partners. Twenty-four-year-old Olga was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease in her teens and developed heart failure due to severe narrowing of her mitral valve. She became critically ill last year when she was pregnant.
Thirty-eight year old Francisco works as a journalist and presenter for a local church radio station. He had to stop working due to his heart condition which caused him to feel constantly tired and dizzy. Cardiologists assessed Francisco and found he had a critical heart condition that severely restricted blood flow from his heart to the rest of his body.
Without heart surgery, Olga’s and Francisco’s lives were at risk. Thankfully both received life-saving heart surgery at St John of God Geelong Hospital. They are now home with their families and looking forward to a healthier future.
A special thanks to Associate Professor Cheng-Hon Yap, the team at St John of God Geelong Hospital, and cardiologists at HNGV and ETHF for making their surgeries possible.
