Every Heartbeat Matters
The patient stories featured on this webpage are shared in connection with the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation’s work with its charitable partners. The inclusion of any patient story does not imply that the individual received treatment with Edwards Lifesciences products or therapies, unless explicitly stated.
Against all odds: Arly’s journey to life
Two-year-old Arly was born with a very severe heart defect that caused his blood oxygen to plummet to as low as 20% of normal levels. In a country with full cardiac care, he would have had a stabilizing surgery within days of birth; in Haiti, he amazingly survived for two years without surgery thanks to his father’s tireless efforts to care for him and to bring him to clinics for emergency oxygen whenever he needed it.
When International Cardiac Alliance first learned of Arly’s case, they knew the odds against him were overwhelming – he might have only days to live; had no passport or visa; was too sick to fly out of Haiti commercially; and was stuck in rural Haiti, blocked by gangs from even reaching Port-au-Prince for a proper echocardiogram to confirm his diagnosis.
What happened next shows how the power of partnership brought dozens of people together to save Arly’s life. A partner clinic organized a risky overland journey for Arly and his father to reach Port-au-Prince, where Haitian cardiologist Dr. Brisma, obtained the medical information needed to get him accepted for surgery in Dominican Republic. The governments of three different countries – Haiti, the United States, and Dominican Republic – worked together to fast-track passports and visas for Arly and his father in record time. Partner organization, HERO Client Rescue, donated emergency medical helicopter transport from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, where Arly was immediately admitted to the hospital, stabilized and underwent successful surgery days later.
Arly returned home to Haiti where he energetically runs and plays. His father says, “you can’t imagine how happy it makes me to see my only son happy and eating well, after two years of being afraid for his life. Our family will pray that other children with the same problem can be helped like Arly was.”