Nashley’s heart disease was discovered on one of DOCF’s many rural mission detection trips to Montecristi to help children at the borders, where pediatricians and cardiology programs are even less accessible. Montecristi province is located on the most northwestern point of the Dominican Republic, about a 4-hour drive by bus from Santo Domingo.

61% of that population lives in poverty condition, and 23% in extreme poverty. 47.8 % does not have basic necessities met, according to the poverty map of the Economy, Planning and Development. There is only one pediatrician in the area.

Of the 144 children screened during this mission trip, 18 were diagnosed with heart disease. Only 2 had ever been to a cardiologist, on a trip to Santiago. The rest had been told to wait for a mission trip to come to them.

These rural detection missions are a critical component of the public education and awareness program that DOCF supports throughout the country, helping ensure children are screened and given an early referral to a pediatric cardiologist where needed.

Josias was 8 months old when his mother brought him to CEDIMAT. Born with down syndrome, heart disease was not unexpected as it highly prevalent in children with down syndrome. Josias had congenital hypothyroidism, and with his father not working and his mother working for a betting bank, he was unable to afford the medical care he needed.

DOCF took Josias into our program and he was given ventricular atrial channel repair by the skilled surgeons that lead the DOCF pediatric cardiology program. He will continue to need heart monitoring and care, which DOCF will provide as long as Josias needs. He has recovered well from his surgery and is growing and progressing well.

Andreina came to the DOCF at 18, living with friends as her mother does not work and so she did not have a home. She had rheumatic cardiomyopathy and a severe aortic insufficiency, and badly needed replacement for 2 valves in her heart.

DOCF’s social work team got her admitted into its pediatric cardiology program at CEDIMAT and ensured that she surgery would be covered. DOCF supported a mission trip to ensure a valve replacement specialist could come to the Dominican Republic and perform surgery for Andreina and more than a dozen other children like her, needing valve replacements.

Andreina has recovered well and is now able to focus on planning a future for herself.

Richard was born premature and very underweight, for this reason his heart condition was detected when he was very young. His mother is a nurse in a public Hospital and his father works as a security guard, they have very limited resources, and do not have any medical insurance. The parents had to request help from the public health ministry and the First Lady of the Dominican Republic’s office in order to provide their son with the supplements and medications required to keep him alive.

When the doctors stabilized him enough, he was referred to CEDIMAT for an emergency atrioseptostomy. The parents then learned that for his complex cardiac situation, he would need three surgeries; by then the mother had already quit her job because her son needed all the time she had. They felt very desperate, wondering who could help them with all of their medical expenses.

The social services department, spoke to the family and told them not to worry, the David Ortiz Children’s Fund would help Richard get the care he needed. Richard received his surgeries, and is now growing and thriving, making her mother smile and his papa very proud.

Keisha was born to a 17 year old unwed mother from Villa Altagracia, a very poor province north of Santo Domingo. Her father works as a vegetable and fruit sales person in the market, and makes an average of $150 per month.

When Keisha was born in a rural hospital, the doctors told her mother that Keisha needed to see a genetic specialist and a cardiologist as soon as possible. She was then referred to the Public Pediatric Hospital, where she was diagnosed with an Complex Cardiopathy and Down Syndrome.

The doctors there told the mom that CEDIMAT was the only hospital with a pediatric cardiovascular surgical program with the capability to care for her daughter; they could not accept her case there.

Keisha’s pulmonary pressures were quickly rising, putting her at risk of becoming inoperable, so the doctors at CEDIMAT had to prepare her for a diagnostic catheterization and subsequent corrective surgery. DOCF’s team prioritized her case and helped ensure she received immediate care.

Keisha is now thriving and Mom and Dad are very grateful for all the care she received from the doctors at CEDIMAT and for all the help they received from the DOCF.

Felix Manuel was considered by doctors as “strange and special case” because he had been born with two teeth, over 42 weeks and in fetal distress. When they released him from the hospital, his mother noticed that he was not breathing normally, and that he was too weak to even eat, and decided to take him to the public children’s hospital. At 7 days old, he was diagnosed with several heart defects, and the doctors told his mom, his heart condition was so complex, it was impossible to operate it in the Dominican Republic.

Natividad started looking for help in all the government institutions, foundations, and even the Venezuelan embassy, while living in a home with a cardboard roof. She started making and selling sweets to earn some money for her child’s medication and food, and continued this way for 7years.

News of Felix’s case reached a retired baseball player from his hometown, who reached out to his friend David Ortiz because he knew about the great work his foundation had been doing with children with heart conditions. David immediately sent the information to the foundation and the cardiologists at CEDIMAT.
The doctors evaluated Felix and gave his mother wonderful news. Felix was going to be operated at CEDIMAT.

Felix underwent a successful operation, and recovered at a speed that even the doctors were astonished by. His mother is happy, and she can’t believe that her son will be healthy and that chapter of permanent anguish and uncertainty in which he lived, is over.

Following the death of her father and two of her uncles from cardiac arrest, the family realized that their death was not a normal heart attack, and her grandparents went to doctors to find out if their sons suffered from a hereditary disease. Realizing this, they asked the mothers of their four granddaughters to test their children. Jimena’s results showed congenital heart disease.

Her mother felt desperate because one of Jimena’s uncles had died while he was still a child, and Jimena was not only positive for the disease, but also had developed symptoms. In order to save her daughter, Jimena needed a device that was going to cost $30,000.00 and an implant another $6,000.00. The mom was desperate almost to the point where she had almost lost hope.

Then they learned about a screening mission that was funded by the David Ortiz Childrens Fund at CEDIMAT. She decided to take her child and request help from the foundation, which was granted immediately. She received her surgery and all needed device support, and recovered beautifully.

Today Jimena is happy, growing and looking forward to many realized dreams. Her mother is extremely thankful for the support of the DOCF and for the care Jimena received at CEDIMAT.

Alexa was very sick for her first two years of life, cared for by her aunt. Her father disappeared after Alexa was born, and her mother abandoned her at one.

The public hospital in Santiago discovered that Alexa had cardiac insufficiency, and her case was referred to CEDIMAT. Alexa’s surgery was immediately prepared, and the
David Ortiz Children’s Fund took care of all of the costs.

Alexa is now playing, growing and has started to walk. Her aunt reports she is a lively, happy kid.

Alexander was born with dextro-transposition of the great arteries, a complex cardiac condition. Since birth, he has been hospitalized so many times, his mom has been unable to work.

Alexander came to CEDIMAT requiring emergency surgery. After careful evaluation of his case and due to his family’s lack of income, the David Ortiz Children’s Fund covered his surgery.

Today, Alexander is thriving, gaining weight and crawling. He is doing so well, his mom is preparing to return to work.