Who are they?
5,500 hearts repaired, that's 5,500 smiles restored!
Astou, 6 years old, Senegal
Yloan, 8 months old, Benin
Rosie Lyse, 17 months old, Congo B.
Rouguiatou, 14 months old, Guinea
Zayed, 15 months old, Mauritania
Key figures
-
1 child
in 100 is born with a heart defect
-
over 5,500
children cared for since 1996
-
70
country of origin
What is congenital heart disease?
Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque mainly cares for children with congenital heart disease, i.e. acquired at birth. The surgeries performed are often complex, but involve an extraordinary organ with a simple function: the heart.
Congenital does not mean hereditary. It is not (or very rarely) a transmission, but a "defect" that occurred during pregnancy. Yet it is quite common, accounting for around 0.8% of births. Malformations can be associated with one or more anomalies, and the only solution is to operate on them.
Heart disease explained by Prof. LecaCaring for a child with heart disease
We receive new requests every day, often from foreign doctors who detect heart disease in a patient.
Each medical file is studied by a staff of doctors who determine the ideal care for the child. Passport, VISA, plane tickets, operating room... Our team then organizes the child's arrival.
The child travels with anAviation Sans Frontières escort and is then welcomed by a host family who will take care of them from the moment they arrive until they leave, including during their operation and recovery.
Once healthy, the child is ready to make the return journey and be reunited with his or her family. We'll be keeping in touch with him for the rest of his life!
