Monday, April 27, 2015

Mondesir is on his way!

Mondesir, February 2015, in Port-au-Prince.

Today, 41-year-old Mondesir is flying to Denver where he will have aortic valve surgery. This is Mondesir's second trip to the United States. Haitian Hearts brought him in 1999 for valve surgery also. Second open heart surgeries are frequently more complicated than the initial surgery. We are very thankful to have located a surgeon and a hospital willing to care for Mondesir.

It takes a lot of hard work and some miracles to bring patients from Haiti to the United States. Everything from finding a hospital and host family to getting the patient a visa to coordinating pre-op care in Haiti is a tough battle that often requires a divine assist.

Last week, after Mondesir received his visa, we bought him a round trip plane ticket to Denver. His cousin Franceska, who helped coordinate many of the details in Haiti wrote John an email that in its imperfect English more perfectly communicated her gratitude:

Hi Dr John,
Well received .Thanks a Milliiiiion .
Thanks to everyone that help that comes true.