Every Heartbeat Matters

Thirteen-year-old Rebeca was born with congenital heart disease. She lives with her parents, Alejandra and Leonardo, and younger sister in Heredia, Costa Rica, about seven miles away from the National Children’s Hospital in San Jose. A good student and avid reader, Rebeca also enjoys macramé, painting, and drawing. She is a fan of Harry Potter and is active in her church’s youth reading group. During her sixth-grade final exams, she began having headaches and her parents discovered that her oxygen saturation levels were low. Rebeca was excited to start colegio – secondary school – but her parents thought the transition, due to her health, would be too difficult. Ultimately, they decided to take her out of school until she could undergo the heart procedure she required.

Rebeca was born with a complex heart condition and has undergone multiple medical interventions throughout her life, including procedures during infancy and open-heart surgeries as she grew older. When she was just six days old, she had her first procedure at the National Children’s Hospital. A few years later, her care required treatment not available in Costa Rica, leading her family to travel to Miami, Florida, where she underwent another major surgery.

Thanks to Heart to Heart’s longstanding partnership with the Mayo Clinic, Rebeca was accepted for pro bono cardiac care in Rochester, Minnesota. In March 2023, she received a minimally invasive procedure that will help extend her life expectancy and improve her quality of life. Because this approach is less invasive than traditional open-heart surgery, recovery time is quicker. Rebeca was even able to leave the hospital the same day.

She returned safely to Costa Rica one week later and has since returned to school in person. Today, Rebeca is thriving and is excited to continue her education.