RDH paediatric infectious disease specialist Joshua Francis was working in the Bairo Pita health clinic in East Timor in April when he was made aware the Save a Child’s Heart Foundation wanted to help a child in the area.
A week prior Dr Francis had treated Lisa da Conceicao Sequera, now eight-months-old, for congenital heart disease who desperately needed surgery.
“I examined her and it was obvious she had heart disease and quite clearly needed medicine to stop her dying immediately and would need surgery in the future,” he said.
“She was the obvious candidate.”
Lisa had an open tube connecting her heart and lungs which usually closes shortly after birth.
The surgery was as basic as tying a string around the tube, but options for the lifesaving surgery in Timor were non-existent.
“There are no options for children to have cardiac surgery in Timor,” Dr Francis said.
“There are many children like Lisa who miss out.”
Dr Francis worked with RDH staff and Queensland medical students to get Lisa, her mum and a translator to Darwin for a heart echo to confirm she her diagnosis.
A week later she received the life saving surgery in Israel.
“It’s pretty special,” Dr Francis said.
“The bigger picture stuff that will have a wider impact and will save 1000s of people is important but it’s really pleasing in a clinic to get involved in an individuals persons life and family.”
“You look at a little baby like that and wonder what she’ll be.”
Lisa’s Father Bilarmino Sequera said she had improved dramatically since the surgery.
“She’s not at all like she was before, she’s got a really strong body,”
“I was a little bit sad and worries when my wife went away but I knew in my heart this was the right thing for my baby.”