The Israeli charity Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) successfully treated its 5000th child this month.
One-year-old Fatma from Zanzibar, whose mother Balkis was also treated by the charity in Israel 20 years ago for the same heart condition, underwent life-saving heart surgery at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
Upon arrival at the annual SACH clinic in Zanzibar in February, Balkis was recognised as a former patient. Her daughter Fatma was diagnosed with the exact defect her mother had suffered from, and the decision was made to fly her to Israel for treatment funded by SACH.
They arrived in Israel earlier this month as part of a group of 12 children, eight mothers and two nurses from Zanzibar. In a statement released by Save a Child’s Heart, Balkis said: “I already owe my life to this incredible NGO and now that they saved my baby, I owe them my happiness as well. We are going back to Zanzibar soon, but a piece of our hearts will always stay in Israel”.
Lior Sasson, the organisation’s head surgeon, stated that “to be able to put aside politics and help a human being in need – a child is the miracle the doctors at Save a Child’s Heart perform every day”.
Fatma is currently recovering and her doctors are pleased with her progress and recovery.
Save a Child’s Heart, established in 1995, diagnoses, treats and operates on children with life-threatening heart diseases from developing countries and the Palestinian Territories, free of charge. It has treated 5000 children from 59 countries, including more than 2,500 Palestinian patients.
