Five Somali children who had congenital heart defects clung to life following surgeries carried out by cardiac specialists. Associate Professor İhsan Bakır, the chief doctor of the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Education and Research Hospital, said the children regained their health following heart surgeries conducted by cardiac specialists.

The children who were hospitalized at the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Education and Research Hospital due to the hole in their hearts are aged between 2 and 15. The children who had a series of operations to fix their heart conditions will be discharged after the recovery period.

“Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart disease that includes four specific defects and it resembles to Blue Baby Syndrome. Somali children who were brought to our hospital for treatment were suffering from Tetralogy of Fallot. The conditions of these five children have fixed by the risky and challenging surgeries,” said Bakır.

Dr. Ender Ödemiş, chief of the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic, operated a closed-heart surgery of the children while Associate Professor Bakır, Professor Mehmet Yeniterzi, Associate Professor Ersin Erek and Surgeon Sertaç Haydın operated open heart surgeries on the other children.

Bakır said the number of relief foundations like IHH should be increased.

“If it had not been foundations like IHH, people living under difficult circumstances in countries like Somalia would not be able to receive such treatments and they will be left to die. Today, these children have opened their eyes to life again. The charitable people from Turkey and elsewhere should be happy about this,” said Bakıcı.