GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands (CANANEWS) – Four Haitian children, including a critically ill six-year-old girl with severe pulmonary issues, have received free life-saving surgery at Health City Cayman Islands,

Medical and Facility Director at Health City, Dr. Chandy Abraham, said the surgeries were done free of charge by a team led Dr. Sripadh Upadhya, an interventional paediatric cardiologist.

“While surgeries, and this project in particular, require the collaboration of many individuals to be successful, special thanks should be made to Dr. Upadhya and his team who led all four procedures,” he said.

The children were suffering from  patent ductus arteriosus, an unclosed communication between the aorta and pulmonary artery.

“The surgeries were performed in the catheterisation laboratory with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualise the arteries and chambers of the heart,” said Dr. Upadhya.

“When the children arrived they were barely able to walk or play; they were very sick. Following their surgeries, they were able to play and jump around and were even well enough to be visited by Santa,” he added.

So far, Health City Cayman Islands, has treated eight young Haitians, who have benefited from its ongoing commitment to support the health needs of Caribbean youth.

A statement from the hospital said that 21 children from Haiti have been identified by the Haiti Cardiac Alliance, a U.S.-based nonprofit organisation, as being in need of life altering medical treatment.