Setaita Ramarama could not contain her emotions as she celebrated her daughter’s first birthday with the medical staff of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital in Suva on July 29.

Three days later, her one-year-old daughter Esther Hazel was wheeled into the operating theatre to undergo a life­saving open heart surgery by the visiting medical team from the Sai Sanjeevani Hospital in India.

The 21-member team of surgeons and support medical professionals from India were brought in by Sai Prema Foundation Fiji as part of the Foundation’s Gift of Life free heart surgeries project.

For Ms Ramarama, she never imagined celebrating her daughter’s first birthday in hospital.

“When Esther was just three months, we were admitted at the Labasa Hospital because she was breathing heavily at a fast pace and was also coughing with fever,” she said.

“The doctors identified a 2mm lump on her heart.”

During a screening process in Labasa by the Sai Prema team last week, visiting doctors from India had identified that the lump had widened to 7mm.

“Because of this, we were marked urgent for surgery by the team that is currently visiting the country,” she said.

“For the whole of last week, I did not attend work be­cause I was worried; I thought I would lose my daughter.

“My doctor from Labasa encouraged me. She told me how important the surgery was for my daughter.”

Little Esther was the 16th patient who underwent sur­gery on Tuesday, August 2.

“For me, this was like the perfect first birthday gift for my daughter; a new gift of life,” she said.

“I thank God for the strength to endure the past couple of days.

“It was a successful surgery and we have received clear­ance to be discharged today (Friday).”

She also acknowledged the Sai Prema Foundation for making it possible for her daughter to be operated on here.

The 21-member team of surgeons and support medical professionals from India completed all surgeries on Fri­day.

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