Jessica’s Early Birthday Present, Thanks To Sai Prema Foundation
“I’m humbly grateful that there are places like this, that specifically look at cases of children with this disease. Like many other parents blessed by this foundation, a miracle is what it is.”
Thursday 29 September 2022 | 13:00
Jessica Brown and her mother Aida Hoyte at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital in Nasese, Suva on September 27, 2022. Photo: Jone Salusalu
Aida Hoyte and her youngest child, Jessica Brown had to travel from Wainaloka, Levuka to Suva for her daughter’s surgery at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital.
Jessica is the youngest of the six siblings and she will turn one-year-old next Saturday.
Her mother said that Jessica had always appeared somewhat sickly ever since she was born.
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The child suffers from congenital heart disease (CHD) prior to the successful surgery.
According to Sai Prema Foundation Fiji, this condition is found in every 200 babies born in Fiji.
Like many other parents taking their children to the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital, Ms Hoyte had little to no knowledge about the foundation.
“She was born with two holes in her heart, in her early month, she was very ill,” Ms Hoyte said.
“Just few months ago she was very sick; that’s when she was admitted to Levuka then to the CWM Hospital. A doctor sug- gested for us to visit this place (Sai Prema).”
After their general checkup at the hospital, Jessica was diagnosed with CHD.
“When I first learned that she had CHD, I thought the world had failed me. It made me emotional knowing that she was still young, I lost all hope,” she said.
“I’m humbly grateful that there are places like this, that specifically look at cases of children with this disease. Like many other parents blessed by this foundation, a miracle is what it is.”
Ms Hoyte is encouraging parents not to be hesitant when it comes to taking their children for checkup.
Story by: jone.salusalu@fijisun.com.fj
