Little Fahima needs urgent heart surgery

This is Fahima Rashid Awil who is 5 years old and lives in Somaliland.

Sadly, Fahima was born with a congenital heart defect known as Tetrology of Fallot, which is a

rare heart conditon caused by a combination of 4 heart defects present at birth.

These are :

- pulmonary stenosis: A narrowing of the pulmonary valve and artery.

- Ventricular septal defect: A hole in the lower chambers of the heart.

- Overiding aorta:The Aorta normally branches of the left ventricle, however in tetrology of fallot it shifts and is

directly above the hole in the heart (ventricular septal defect).

- Right ventricular hypertrophy: Thickening of the right lower heart chamber.

These complications have resulted in Fahima having critically low oxygen levels in her blood, resulting in her fainting constantly

after doing something as simple as walking for a few minutes. She also suffers with seizures, weakness and difficulty breathing.

Ontop of this, fahima has now developed Eisenmenger syndrome which is a long term complication of a congenital heart defect which has not been corrected.

In Eisenmenger syndrome there is irregular blood flow in the heart and lungs, causing the arteries in the lungs to become stiff and thickened, resulting in

pulmonary hypertension, which requires regular medical treatment and monitoring.

Fahima's condition is extremely severe and life threatening. Her family have taken her to cardiologists in Hargeisa who have informed them that

the only available treatment for Fahima is corrective heart surgery, which they are unable to do in Hargeisa. They have advised that she needs to

go abroad for this complicated surgery.

We therefore ask, that you kindly donate so that we can take her abroad to see qualified paediatric doctors who will be able to perform heart surgery.

Please also share and spread the message.

Thank you

Jazakallah