Valentine’s Day creates time and space to reflect on those that we love. We are taking one more step towards love and compassion this year. This Valentine’s Day, we are sponsoring a child to receive life-saving heart surgery. Learn more about the loving soul we sponsored below and how his outlook on life has completely transformed in the most positive way.

Background of our Involvement

Source: Rickhodes.org/about

Throughout the years, we’ve connected with Dr. Rick Hodes who is an American doctor who has dedicated nearly 30 years of his life serving the underprivileged in Ethiopia. Dr. Rick Hodes is a CNN Hero and JDC’s Medical Director. Dr. Rick Hodes mainly treats spine, cardiac, and cancer patients. We’ve been privileged enough to donate over the years to give back and help save lives through Dr. Rick Hodes’ work. Dr. Rick Hodes sends his patients from the Mother Teresa Clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to either India for cardiac surgery or to Ghana for spinal surgery. In India, heart surgery is about 10% of the price in the United States.

Samson, pictured above, is the boy we sponsored to receive a life-saving heart surgery. He arrived in Dr. Rick Hodes’ care at age 10 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was born in Wello province, however his dad, a policeman, was transferred to Addis Ababa. When Samson arrived to the clinic, he was tired and weak. Samson was diagnosed as having a ventricular septal defect (VSD). VSD is a hole between the 2 ventricles of the heart. Untreated, it would lead to death. In Samson’s case, the blood flow between the 2 ventricles was revering and going from left to right (expected) to both directions (which is not supposed to happen). This would soon become irreversible. He needed corrective surgery as soon as possible. Dr. Rick Hodes put him on Viagra 3x daily to lower his pressures, and the shunt reverted to left-to-right. This gave a window of surgical opportunity.

Samson was sent to India, along with a dozen other heart patients. Samson underwent surgery to repair his heart at AIMS Amrita Hospital in Kochi, India. The surgery went well and he returned to Ethiopia after his recovery. Samson is now going to school and playing with his friends. Samson would love to play soccer and become an engineer when he grows up.