The hopeful message from Naylah-Simone
For Naylah-Simone's mother, born on 5 July 2016 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the joys of motherhood were soon replaced by the fear of losing her baby. At only 3 weeks of life, the doctor told her that her little girl had an open septum pulmonary atresia, a serious heart defect, and that her life expectancy was only 12 months. Four years later, we are very happy to tell you her story through the touching words of her mother.
"My family read in my eyes the strength and will to fight, not to give up despite my breathlessness, my blue color and my featherweight..."
A look that spoke volumes about Naylah Simone's determination to fight her pathology, as the little girl managed to reach the age of 2. That's when her parents found out about Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. Full of hope, they immediately sent the medical file to our team, and two months later, Nayla was on her way to Paris.
When she arrived, Naylah Simone was very tired, weighing just 9 kilos at two years old, with an oxygen saturation of 65% (the normal is 100%).
After extensive surgery at the Marie Lannelongue hospital and a wonderful two-month stay with her host family, she was able to return to Kinshasa with 20 more points of saturation and a few extra kilos. Two years after her operation, Naylah is regularly monitored by our referring doctor and is doing wonderfully well.
"Without you, my future might be in the past and my present uncertain... Yet I'm celebrating my 4th birthday with a semi-repaired heart that lets me live life to the full!
To all those who have accompanied us from far and near: the team from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the couriers, the host family, the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque team in France, the students at École Massillon, and all the volunteers and heroes in the shadows... Thank you for teaching us never to lose hope by turning my family's dream into reality...
I'm Naylah-Simone, my life and my story have made every beat of my precious little heart a contribution. My heart is an assembly of so many feelings coming from each of you... Thank you all!"
