Latifah Nalumansi has lost her father last year now living with her two siblings and mother in Uganda. She has a congestive cardiac failure and accordingly had a chance to live until her 13-14 age at most, in case not to receive the necessary treatment. Latifah was brought to Turkey, and was undergone an operation of placing an artificial cardiac vein to provide enough blood flow to the body in the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Hospital by the help of IHH.

IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation provides various supports for totally 35 thousand 500 orphans in the world, and continues to support orphans and to be their hope all over the world. IHH authorities recently have given a helping hand to Latifah Nalumansi from Uganda who is 8 and has a congenital cardiac disease.

During the opening of Midland Orphanage in Uganda, Latifa’s mother Atisa got through to Yaşar Sekizkardeş, member of executive board of IHH and she told that the necessary surgery for her daughter cannot be done in the conditions of Uganda and she asked for help. Taking the health reports of Latifah and saying to the mother that he would deal with the problem, Sekizkardeş contacted to the Ministry of Health when he returned to Turkey. The little girl was brought to Ankara on 14 January, and her medication process began in Sıhhiye Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Hospital in Ankara.
Lalifah Nalumansi from Uganda has a hole in her heart and it cannot flow blood because of the narrowness of the artery. She is 8 now, and if she is not treated, she may die when she is 13-14 years old at the most. The first important surgery on the journey of her treatment was practiced in Turkey.

An artificial vein was placed in her heart to supply enough blood flow. After her lungs and her body resistance are improved she will be brought to Turkey again and she will have a second big surgery to close the hole in her heart.

“She will go under a big surgery for the hole in her heart”

Cardiovascular Surgeon Associate Professor Dr. İrfan Taşoğlu who is in the surgery team headed by the Professor Dr. Mustafa Paç in the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Hospital, said there is a hole in Nalumansi’s heart and a narrowness in her artery.

Mentioning that as less blood is flowed to the lungs, empurpling in the body and growth deficiency, decline in the brains functions, fainting, hemiplegia and death are the possible risks, Taşoğlu said Nalumansi bear all these risks.

Taşoğlu said that they determined that as her lungs are not developed enough they cannot tolerate a bigger surgery, he mentioned about the process as:

“First an artificial vein was inserted as a first step in order to supply enough blood flow to the lungs. In this way, veins of her lungs were improved and she will be ready for a bigger surgery. The surgery was successful. Her general state of health is good. After the controls that will take place after a month and three months later, she will go under a bigger surgery for the hole in her heart.”

“My mother is not going to cry anymore”

Latifah’s mother said that her daughter has a congenital heart disease and they have many difficulties because of this that her daughter couldn’t play as her siblings, stay away from school and they live with a fear of her death at any moment.

Mentioning that the healthcare conditions are not sufficient in Uganda and by this reason she always worry to lose her daughter one day, Latifah’s mother said “It is very difficult to stand with this for a mother. Their father died. I try to stand by them alone. The most important thing for a mother is the health of her children. I owe debt of gratitude to Turkish doctors for giving me my daughter.”

Latifah’s mother said that it is a very nice feeling for a mother to imagine about the future of her daughter and she thanked to IHH for providing this opportunity.

Latifah Nalumansi said “The doctors said I am healthy and I will be healthier and I need to be careful a bit. I thank to the doctors curing me and the people who brought me here. I like Turkey very much. My siblings will be happy. My mother is not going to cry anymore.”

Saying that her biggest dream to be a nurse, Nalumansi said “because I want to cure all little children. I will feel myself good then.”