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Every year at least twelve Belizean children leave the country to seek specialized medical care – the kind that most families can’t afford. And many times, scarce money and limited health care options force those parents to make difficult decisions which ultimately jeopardized their children’s chances of a full recovery. Today, parents of children suffering from heart conditions do not have to wait until it is too late. As Jacqueline Godwin found out, one programme has come to their rescue.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Meet John and Oscar Cal. The father and son do not know how much more time they have left to spend together because the boy has a very slim chance of living to his parent’s age. Nine years ago young Oscar was born with multiple holes in his heart and a number of other heart congenital disease including pulmonary hypertension. Today it was Oscar Cal’s fourth visit to see pediatric cardiologist Dr. Carl Gumbier. According to the specialist, the case is complicated and it is difficult to say what will be the outcome for his young patient. But it depends on the situation because children with such conditions can live for twenty years. But John believes in miracles because he says one did occur when his son was delivered.

John Cal, Father of Heart Patient
“At the time of his birth, when he was born into this world he was born dead. It was the midwife who brought him to life otherwise he would have been dead long time.”

Looking at this large group of boys and girls at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital you would think that Belize has an alarmingly high number of young heart patients. But the truth is that most cases go undetected and by the time the young patients receive medical attention the condition has gotten worse or it is too late for anything to be done.

Yvette Burks, Coordinator - Gift of Life Programme
“We are especially busy because a lot of the problems that were corrected maybe at birth or within a few years of birth within the developed countries, we are just trying to correct at eight, nine and at fifteen and so on, an older age. So we have quite a number all the time on our surgical list, a waiting list of at least a dozen or more per year.”

For many of the children who require the specialized care, their families cannot afford the medical service that can run as high as five hundred thousand Belize dollars. That was the bill sent to Maria Elena Paz after her one-year-old daughter Zahira Leanny Galdamez recently underwent surgery in the United States.

Maria Elena Paz, Mother of Clinical Patient
“But I get frightened and I said what should I do now when I get the bill.”

Turns out the bill was sent by mistake, and that is because baby Zahira is just one of the children who have been getting the care they need at no cost to their families through the Rotary Club of Belize Programme the Gift of Life.

Yvette Burks,
“We got onto the ground floor of an excellent programme that happens all over the states. The headquarter is in New York and there is an opportunity to give a child who would otherwise not have this possibility.”

The medical team that has been coming to Belize since 2000 is from the children’s hospital in Omaha Nebraska.

Dr. Carl Gumbier, Pediatric Cardiologist
“We are a medium size cardiology program in the US. We have a very active surgery, a very active intervention program and our group has been visiting Belize and seeing patients such as this for 8 years now.”

Maria Elena Paz,
“Oh yes. I appreciate it and I want to say thanks to everybody that help.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
How is Zahira doing right now?

Maria Elena Paz,
“She is doing good, she is doing good she was so blue before she is not blue again.”

Zahira and Oscar were among seventy children who went to the KHMH to attend their annual clinic.

Dr. Carl Gumbier,
“Some of the children that we have seen today are pretty old, pretty advanced with their disease and there may be some that we cannot help much anymore but the majority will live with it and many can be helped and live normal lives.”

Under the watchful eye of his father young Oscar’s heart was monitored. Although the boy’s health has not improved, John remains hopeful about his son’s future although he admits it has been difficult.

John Cal,
“The last previous checkups they did they tell me the same thing but it looks like he is still living it up.”

Oscar’s condition has prevented him from doing any physical activities but while he is unable to enjoy any outdoor time with his friends he enjoys reading and playing computer games.

John Cal,
“He is in the hospital every now and then until recently about two years ago then it start to ease down, it start to ease down but there are times when he still has that shortness of breath and we have to take him to the hospital.”

It is not known if Oscar Cal will be one of the children who will be treated in the united states but the good news is that not all of the young patients will need to leave the country.

Dr. Carl Gumbier,
“Some do not require any treatment at all and some are doing well, some need medication, and some need procedures that for the most part are done in the U.S.”

John Cal,
“I would really hope that the doctors would give him the opportunity to take him abroad and do whatever they can with him, that is one of my hopes.”

The young heart patents who have been receiving the gift of life are from newborn to nineteen years old. Jacqueline Godwin for 7NEWS.

The Rotary Club of Belize relies on fundraising drives and financial donations to keep the programme going. And if you want to put in some change, you can support the duty free car raffle that’s on offer right now.