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Two-year-old girl needs urgent heart surgery
– Mother amplifies appeal for public assistance
A sum of $65,000 has been donated by several concerned persons to Patricia Springer towards the amount needed to finance a crucial surgery in India, to repair a hole in her two-year-old daughter Akila Smith’s heart.
But according to Springer, while she is very grateful for the assistance, the amount garnered so far is a far cry from attaining the US$4,600 required to facilitate the operation, which is necessary to save the young child’s life.
Two-year-old Akila Smith
The woman says that she personally received money from a number of persons, but noted that while others promised to contribute to an activated account at Republic Bank (207-343-5), no money has so far been deposited.
Springer disclosed that while she fully recognised the urgency of the status of Akila’s condition from the very start, it was only recently that the child’s condition worsened.
She explained that, in addition to the infant becoming breathless and in some instances bluish in the skin, the child has started vomiting on occasions, which has now caused her to amplify her appeal to the public for assistance.
The concerned mother says that, while Ms Varshnie Singh of Kids First Fund has assured her that some assistance would be forthcoming, the more that is solicited from the public would be better since the humanitarian organisation no longer receives governmental assistance.
Ms Singh is currently out of the country, but is expected to return in October. According to Springer, once the requisite sum is acquired, Ms Singh will accompany her and Akila to India.
Springer, of Lot 5 Riverview, Ruimveldt, in an earlier interview with this newspaper, revealed that when her daughter was born, two years ago at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), doctors discovered that she had a hole in her heart.
However, Springer noted, the doctors had urged her not to worry, since there was a possibility that the defect could be temporary.
But as the child grew, Springer said, it was discovered that she had less stamina than a normal child when at play.
She related that she continued to take Akila regularly to visit a doctor at the GPHC, but it was during a recent visit she was informed that the right side of the child’s heart was swelling, thus making it inevitable for surgery to fix the ailment.
The doctor, in offering his expert opinion, said that if the surgery is not conducted with much urgency, there is a likelihood that Akila could die, the woman said.
Akila was, as a result, referred to the Caribbean Heart Institute, which is situated in the GPHC compound, where she was further examined by experts there.
However, in a letter to the child’s mother, CHI related that it is only able to offer limited services in paediatric cardiology and interventions.
The letter pointed out that, while there are a number of diagnoses which could be undertaken at CHI, they are only conducted on children that are 12 years and older, ruling out the possibility of rendering any assistance to Akila.
However, the facility said, there is the likelihood that within the next 18 months it will be able to handle more complex cases for the younger age group.
As a result, Springer said, the child’s case was referred to the Ministry of Health with a view to securing financial assistance to have the operation done abroad.
The woman said that the ministry sought to locate a facility in Trinidad and Tobago to have the operation conducted, but found it to be an impossible task.
Springer said that she was later informed that the surgery could be done in India, but she noted that the ministry does not offer assistance for operations there.
Those desirous of rendering assistance to Akila could contact members of her family on telephone numbers 684-7131, 684-7702 or 686-6342, or deposit monetary assistance to the aforementioned Republic Bank account.
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